For Good or Ill
by jo7787
Summary: Vault girl Ava Flint frees Charon before embarking on her adventures. She would finish this fight. There are no loose ends as far as she is concerned.
1. The Contract

**Fallout 3 and all of its characters belong to Bethesda. Ava belongs to me. I've gone back and started to revamp some of the earlier chapters, fixing grammatical errors as well. Enjoy the story!**

* * *

Ava pushed open the heavy doors of Underworld, relieved to be out of harm's way for just a moment and around the few beings that actually smiled when she came around. Everything was always shooting at her. What the hell did she ever do to end up on the receiving end of some crazy's red-hot gun? She was trying to bring clean water to the Capital Wasteland for god's sake. Some of these motherfuckers should be grateful. She limped slightly, a result of a super mutant master's lucky shot. She hoped Willow got the final shot on him...that bastard was close to death anyway. The cool darkness of the museum felt good on her slightly sun-burnt skin and she waited a moment to allow her eyes to adjust. Her wound throbbed and Ava hissed in annoyance, a reminder that she was not invincible, as much as she wished that she were.

"Son of a bitch, this hurts," she mumbled to herself. "If Dad saw this...he'd lock me in a room back in the vault for the rest of my life."

Dealing with her father's death wasn't easy for her, but she had to move on. She had the nights for her tears. She would avenge him and kill the people responsible for his death. That was the one thing that kept her going forward. He would want her to.

Ava waved to Greta as she reached the entrance. Greta returned Ava's greeting with a smile and reached for a pack of cigarettes. Ava sat on the steps by Greta's feet and let her pack and sniper rifle hit the ground with a huff. She didn't realize how tired her legs were until then. Then again, running for your life when you had one of those hulking, green monsters chasing you, mini-gun in hand and you had just finished off your last clip of ammo, it was hard to notice.

"You're hurt smoothskin," said Greta softly. Ava shrugged and took a cigarette from the offered pack.

"We all know I've been through worse. A Master was shooting at me, but I was out of ammo. I just ran in and Willow gave me some cover fire," explained Ava. Greta chuckled and Ava gave her a smirk. They both knew Carol would fawn over her the moment she walked up to visit her.

They both smoked in silence until Greta mentioned she should get back to work. Ava put out the cigarette butt, picked up her pack and rifle, and opened the final set of doors to Underworld. The ghouls that resided there no longer stared at her every time she wandered through the museum, and she found it comforting. Ava saw Winthrop walking towards his office and she shouted out for him.

"Winthrop! Wait up!" she called. The ghoul turned and smiled warmly at her. Ava knew she had a soft spot in Winthrop's heart ever since she agreed to find him scrap metal to keep Underworld going. This place was her second home. She almost preferred the dank ruins to the luxury of Tenpenny Tower. She certainly liked the inhabitants of Underworld better than Tenpenny...Roy was always giving her a hard time about being a human. He really needed to get that stick out of his ass before she ripped it herself and beat him with it.

"Long time no see, smoothskin," said Winthrop. He glanced down at her calf and frowned.

"Yeah, I know I'm hurt. It's okay, I'll be fine," Ava said quickly. She reached into her pack and began digging through all the random items she had acquired in her travels. She really was turning into a pack rat lately, but the heavy bag of caps at the bottom of her pack reminded her why she grabbed everything in sight.

"Scrap metal?" asked Winthrop. Ava nodded and began handing him twisted pieces of metal, seven in total.

"Sorry I didn't get anymore. I was being shot at by Raiders and I had to run. I'll bring some more next time I come by. Promise," said Ava with a smile.

"Thanks kid. The fans were acting up again. You might wanna head over and see Barrows. That leg looks pretty bad," he said.

"Trust me, I'm fine. I can patch this up myself," she assured him.

Ava headed up the stairs and opened the door to Carol's place, placing her belongings in the room Carol always had for rent. It wasn't as private as the room Gob rented out in his saloon, and the bed was definitely devoid of a certain woman named Nova she had come to expect to find sitting there back in his saloon, eager for her company, but it was still a place for her to stay when she was too far from the place she called home.

"Hey Carol. Gob says hi," said Ava as she tossed a small amount of caps on the counter. Greta scowled and muttered something about Quinn and getting more food. Ava grimaced at Carol as her face fell.

"Sorry, I forget that she gets jealous of Gob," said Ava.

"No, no. It's not your fault. She should know that I love them both by now. It's good to hear from Gob. How long are you staying here?" asked Carol.

"Maybe a day or two. We'll see."

Carol peeked over the counter and saw the wound on Ava's leg before she could hide it. Damn it, here it comes...

"Ava! What happened to you?" Carol said, crossing her arms angrily. "I told you to be careful out there!"

"Just a flesh wound, no need to get all worked up now," Ava said with a calm smile.

"I don't want you to leave before it heals. If you do, I won't allow you to stay here anymore," Carol said.

"Oh come on, we both know that I just have to give you a sad, lost little girl face and you'll let me come back," Ava teased.

"I know. Now, you must be hungry after your travels. Let me fix you something to eat," said Carol before she began digging through the refrigerator.

"Thanks _mom_, but don't rush. I think I'm going to get a trim from Snowflake," Ava said as she tugged on a lock of hair. "You know how excited he gets when he can cut hair."

"All right dear. I'll have something ready for you by the time you come back," said Carol over her shoulder. Ava laughed quietly. Carol was always so motherly towards her and it made her choke up at times. After what happened to her father at the Purifier, she had no family. It made her sick to her stomach at night. What she needed right then was just a bit of indulgence. Just a hint of it.

Ava sat in front of Snowflake as he trimmed the ends of her two mohawks. Her father had gawked at them when she found him after they left the vault, scolding her for cutting off her long brown locks. Ava laughed at the thought. A few days later, her father had admitted that her two mohawks resembled the wings of a fallen angel and that the look suited her just fine. Ava was jogged from her happy memory when Snowflake began to ramble on and on about the lack of hair in Underworld. It was the same shit every time.

She was about to ask him if any interesting occurred in Underworld since she was there last, but the doors to the Ninth Circle flew open, startling the pair of them. Snowflake mistakenly cut off a chunk of her hair and Ava scowled as the piece fell into her lap.

"Shit, I'm sorry. I can fix it, I swear. Why the hell does he always do that?" Snowflake muttered.

A ghoul was thrown out quite forcibly, causing Ava to yelp in surprise. An extremely tall ghoul walked out the door, muscles bulging, holding another by the throat. He too was thrown and hit the opposite wall with a sickening thud.

"If you cannot control yourselves, I suggest you stop doing this shit!" the large ghoul bellowed as he threw a handful of jet inhalers at the two men he had just "escorted" out the door. "Next time, I'll use your fucking head to open these doors!"

The large ghoul turned his head stared at Ava for a few moments before walking back towards the doors. He was...he was something. Fierce? No, that was a poor word to describe the ferocity behind his throw. It was more than fierce. He was menacing. Ava tried to smile at him, but she was too stunned. She received another, longer glance from the ghoul and he slammed the doors to the Ninth Circle closed behind him.

"Hmm, that was…interesting," said Snowflake with a chuckle.

"Who the hell was _that_?" asked Ava.

Snowflake looked at her with surprise. "You've never been inside the Ninth Circle?" Ava shook her head and pointed to her hair, prompting Snowflake to continue cutting. She had been to enough shit holes in her short lifetime, and Carol had warned her that the Ninth Circle was the biggest shit hole of them all, run by a nasty and greedy motherfucker who trapped junkies there with promises of jet and other narcotics. Ava never bothered to touch any of that herself. She had read enough medical journals in her father's office inside the vault to know what those poisons were capable of.

"That was Charon, Ahzrukhal's…uh…bouncer," explained Snowflake.

"And a bouncer throwing out rowdy junkies is interesting?" she asked.

Snowflake chuckled loudly. "No, but him staring at ya was. It could be because we don't get many smoothskins in here. Be glad none of the women here saw him look at ya like that. You'd have a lot less friends."

"Why's that?" Ava asked as she looked down at her injury. She had wiped it clean and wrapped gauze around her leg before coming to see Snowflake. The wound had stopped bleeding, thankfully.

"He's got the women here all flustered but he's never given any of them a second look. Oh, what they all wouldn't give for one evening with that guy. They'd gladly give up all their caps for a night with him. Can't blame them either. Charon is..." Snowflake began, twirling the scissors in his hand, lost in thought.

"Really good looking for a ghoul?" Ava chirped.

"Ridiculously so. He makes the old bats here like Carol blush, and the younger girls like Tulip squeal. It's not like it matters, Ahzrukhal would never let him off his leash anyways," he said. Ava turned her head, giving Snowflake a confused look.

"He's Ahzrukhal's slave. Had his contract since Underworld first came about. Probably before then too. Ah, I'm done. You look good, smoothskin. Best lookin' gal here."

"Thanks. You sure you don't want some caps for this?" she asked, reaching into her pocket.

"No thanks. I'm happy enough," Snowflake answered with a sincere smile. Ava stood up and stared at the doors of the other bar inside Underworld, her hand resting on her Blackhawk, the most powerful .44 magnum she had ever found.

"Slave, huh?" Ava mused.

"You're not thinking what I think you are, are you? Don't start shit with Ahzrukhal, Ava. Charon won't bat an eye when he kills you. He's nasty," Snowflake said quickly.

"I'm not going to shoot up the place. Cerberus would kill me before I could even reach the doors leading out of here," Ava replied, referring to the Mister Gutsy that floated about. "Charon killing me is the least of my concern."

With that, she pulled open the doors to the Ninth Circle and walked right in, her arrogance way ahead of her. She could hear some of the ghouls whispering about her, but she paid them no mind. Everyone talked. She was more than used to it. If someone wasn't talking about her, they were shooting. Gossip was better than shooting, hands down. Junkies leaned against the wall with eyes glazed over, jet or psycho fueling their withered bodies. Walking into the next room, she saw Charon standing in a corner across from the bar, leaning against the wall. Ava had never seen someone so incredibly tall before. He was at least a foot taller than her, with a bit of dark, reddish brown hair covering his skull, and she saw he muscles were even larger than she once thought, nearly tearing through his armor. She walked up to the ghoul, causing him to straighten up and glare at her. She did not expect to find the clear blue eyes that he had. They were stunning, and not truly fit for a cold man like him.

"Uh, hi. I'm-"began Ava nervously. Nervous was not a word anyone would use to describe her, but that is exactly what she was at the moment. If there was ever a formidable opponent in the Capital Wasteland, it was this man.

"Talk to Ahzrukhal," growled Charon. Ava was taken aback by his rudeness and how large he really was when she stood close to him. He wore leather armor similar to Ava's and he had an unusual combat shotgun strapped to his back. If Charon came at her out in the Wasteland, she would have ran in the opposite direction. He was a frightening sight.

Annoyed wouldn't even begin to describe Charon at the moment. He stared at the gun on the smoothskin's back and the one at her hip, and raised his brow. Armed to the teeth, this one was. Did she come to stare at all the ghouls that resided here as if they were side show at a carnival? Smoothskins, the disgusting bigots, had no place in Underworld. His hand itched to reach for his shotgun and just blow her pretty little face off. Pretty...the fact that she was breath-takingly beautful just made him more mad. The last thing he wanted to do was make small talk with the likes of her.

"I just-"

"Talk. To. Ahzrukhal," repeated Charon with a bit more force in his voice.

"Look, I just wanted to ask you some questions," she said softly, resting her arms on the table before him.

"I don't give a shit about your inane questions. Talk to Ahzrukhal or get the fuck out before I make you," he snarled.

Ava frowned and took a seat at the bar. Slavery. God, she hated it. Life was made for making choices and when someone had the gall to enslave another being and prevent them from making those choices, there was nothing more disgusting than that. She decided she would not leave the Ninth Circle without Charon, whether he was an asshole or not.

Behind the bar stood a ghoul wearing a white, pin-striped suit, cleaning out a dirty glass with an equally dirty rag, and humming the melody of the tune Three Dog played on the radio. Ava gritted her teeth in anger. He must be Ahzrukhal. The ghoul turned around and a sick smile emerged on his face. He looked...delighted at her presence.

"Well well well. You must the pretty little smoothskin everyone's been talking about...the Vault girl. What can I get for you my dear?" purred Ahzrukhal.

Charon's head perked up at Ahzrukhal's words. _She_ was the Vault Girl? The Saint of the Capital Wasteland? That just made her visit to the Ninth Circle slightly more interesting.

"Actually, I want to talk to you about the big asshole in the corner there. I saw him toss out a couple of your junkies a few minutes ago," said Ava, jerking her thumb over her shoulder at Charon.

Charon narrowed his eyes. She was pointing at him...probably bitching about his rudeness, no doubt.

"Charon is my muscle. I point at something and Charon hurts it," said Ahzrukhal.

"He wouldn't really talk to me," said Ava.

"I've ordered him not to speak to anyone, except to let them know he cannot speak to them."

"Ordered him?" she asked. "Like a fucking slave?"

Ahzrukhal glared at Ava and jabbed his burnt finger into her face. "He is _not _my slave. All people on life have their path to follow...and Charon's path is servitude. You see, Charon was raised around an interesting group of individuals. He was…brain-washed as a child to blindly follow the orders of the person who owns his contract. Unfailing, unflinching, until the day his employment ends," said Ahzrukhal in a cold voice. "A slave he is not."

"Hmm. I've been looking for some muscle myself. It's just not safe out there in the Wastes, you know? Especially for someone like me. How much for Charon?" asked Ava. She leaned over the counter and batted her long eyelashes at Ahzrukhal. The ghoul cleared his throat loudly, pulling at his collar.

"I'm afraid he's not for sale," said Ahzrukhal.

"Oh come on, everyone has a price. Name yours," said Ava, her voice suddenly taking a firm tone. She would not give up on this.

"Two thousands caps. Or you could kill Greta for me. She and Carol take away too much of my business," the ghoul sneered.

"How about...a thousand caps? That seems perfectly fair to me," she said. Ava reached out and smoothed out Ahzrukhal's tie, making sure her chest was visible to him. He seemed flustered for a moment, and Ava knew she won.

"Deal. You have the pleasure of informing Charon yourself," said Ahzrukhal with a smile. Ava counted the caps and threw them on the counter. Taking Charon's contract from Ahzrukhal's hands, she snatched a pen right out of Ahzrukhal's coat and crossed out his name, signing hers below it with a flourish. Throwing the pen on the counter, she hopped off the bar stool and walked the few feet towards Charon.

"Fucking idiot," she mumbled to herself. Some men were so easy to sway. Gob had begun to call her a black widow, for there was nothing she could do better than convince a man to bend to her will, and she smiled at the thought.

Charon looked at her once again, puzzled by the stupid grin on her face and glowered at her. She was coming back again? He would gladly show her the door; she looked much easier to throw out on her ass than the others that came here.

"I said talk to-" Charon began.

"Oh no you don't!" said Ava loudly. She would not deal with his attitude. "You're coming with me. Let's go."

"You own my contract now?" asked Charon. He did not expect Ahzrukhal to ever give up his contract to anyone. The Vault Girl nodded and she held up the contract. It read, "Ava Flint" in large, curly letters beneath a now scratched off "Azhrukhal." Charon bore his eyes into hers and she swallowed a noticeable lump in her throat.

"I must take care of something. Excuse me for a moment," said Charon as he brushed by Ava. She followed him back to Ahzrukhal, not sure what he was about to do. Charon had been praying for the day he would be free of Ahzrukhal's grasp...the motherfucker had this coming for way too long.

"Come to say goodbye to your old Master, Charon?" asked Ahzrukhal with a laugh.

"Something like that," said Charon with a smirk. He grabbed his shotgun and pointed it at Ahzrukhal. Ava's eyes went wide as Charon pulled the trigger, completely obliterating Ahzrukhal's head. Charon strapped the gun to his back once again, and searched through Ahzrukhal's pockets until he found a sack of caps. He turned and handed them to Ava, his expression now blank.

"All right, let's go," said Charon.

Usually, Ava was not surprised by death and destruction. She had seen and done much of it herself out in the Capital Wasteland. The sight of Ahzrukhal's headless body, however, shocked her. Not only did she have the contract of a slave in her possession, he was fucking nuts.

"What the fuck was that?" she asked, her voice an unusually high pitch.

"Ahzrukhal was an evil bastard. The world is better off without that filth. Now, for good or ill, I follow you," Charon explained quietly.

Ava grinned brightly at Charon and looped her arm through his. She felt him flinch at her touch and she had to laugh. Her touch made him flinch? That was amusing. He could crush her head if he wanted to.

"Are you going to blow my head off when we part ways?" she asked as Charon led her to the door. He opened it for her, and offered his arm once more, confusion flooding his blue eyes.

"Only if you're an evil bastard ma'am," he answered. Ava laughed loudly and the pair made their way towards Carol's place. For an asshole who killed off his former employers and hurt others on a daily basis, he was pretty funny. Ava would have never expected it.


	2. Unleashing The Beast

The Vault Girl and the massive ghoul who was now under her command stared at each other as they stood just outside of the doors to the Ninth Circle. They both appeared to be puzzled in each others company, and many of Underworld's residents stared at them, only because Ava still had her arm looped through Charon's. The ghoul held her close and glared at anyone who was foolish enough to walk to closely to them. Charon's need to protect her was overwhelming his mind, and he leaned against the bannister, shifting weight from one foot to another and looking over his shoulder every chance that he got.

"Are you...all right? I know it might be a shock to have someone else as your owner," Ava asked quietly.

"I am not owned by _anyone_," Charon growled. "It's just...I have never had a woman hold my contract before...and I feel uncomfortable with everyone staring at you."

Ava smiled warmly and gave his forearm a reassuring pat before she muttered, "No one here is going to hurt me, Charon. So, you'll do whatever your...employer...asks as long as they hold your contract?"

"Yes ma'am," the ghoul replied with a nod.

Ava could not believe she now held the contract of a mindless killing machine. Charon was completely loyal to her; all she had to do was ask and he would find a way to get it done. It amazed her that a single piece of paper could control a person for well over two hundred years. She pitied him because ultimately, he was not the strong creature everyone saw him to be. The pair received many stares as they walked towards Carol's place. Ava opened the door and walked inside, Charon walking so closely behind her that she could hear his heavy breaths. Carol was scooping some noodles into a bowl, mentioning something to Greta about Ava going to see Snowflake.

"Carol, you might wanna make two plates of food," said Ava, interrupting the conversation. It was almost ten in the evening and she wasn't sure if Charon had eaten yet. Either way, she was starving. Whether he wanted to eat or not wasn't on her list of priorities at the moment. She needed to find a way to release him from his own prison so that she could go on her merry way. She had no intentions whatsoever to keep him as a slave.

"Why, are you that hungry?" asked Carol. Greta looked up and shrieked at the sight of Charon standing inside their bar, a grim look etched into his face. Carol turned abruptly and when she saw the larger ghoul as well, she dropped the plate with a horrified gasp and it shattered, sending bits of noodles all over her shoes. "What…what is he doing here?"

"I bought his contract off Ahzrukhal. He's kind of, uh, dead," explained Ava as she rubbed the side of her head. Greta had not stopped staring at Charon since he and Ava walked in. Ava saw Charon roll his eyes at the sight and she smiled.

"Oh goodness, I thought he was here to kill us! Ahzrukhal hated us," said Carol with a shaky hand over her chest. "I'll make enough food for you both; just give me about fifteen minutes dear."

Ava told Carol to take her time and took a seat at one of the tables, motioning for Charon to do the same. He gave her a strange look as he sat down, dumbfounded by Ava's pleasant smile. What would it be like to work for her? Would she force him to do the awful things that Ahzrukhal once did? He wasn't sure what to make of her, this Saint of the Capital Wasteland, because what saintly figure took someone like him on?

"What was that look for?" asked Ava with a smirk. She leaned back into her chair and studied the ghoul. He could have been a very handsome man before he transformed into a ghoul. His eyes were a shade of blue that was uncommon in the Wasteland and she found it difficult to pull away from his gaze. The blank look on his face, however, was almost enough to frighten anyone to death.

"You are strange, ma'am. You treat ghouls as if they are your equals, myself included. You are kind to Carol and that moron who has an unnatural obsession with human hair. You…have no qualms touching my arm," said Charon. "I am not used to such things, so forgive me if my behavior is not what you would like."

"You're a lot more polite when you're not under the control of some tool," Ava pointed out.

"It was how he wanted me to be," Charon replied.

"Well, I don't see ghouls any differently than humans. We're all the same inside, where it fucking matters the most. There's good people like Carol, and assholes like Ahzrukhal. Now, I want to talk to you about this contract," Ava said, deciding it was better to do this quickly. She took out Charon's contract from her breast pocket and laid it on the table before him.

"Here," she said, pushing the contract towards him. "You're free to go."

Charon took the contract and examined it for a moment before handed it back to Ava. Shaking his head, he told her. "I cannot take it. If you don't wish to keep me, you must give my contract to someone else."

"You can be free, Charon. Stop being an idiot. Here, take the damn thing and get out of here. You can do whatever _you _want to do now." She tried to hand him the contract but he waved her hand away.

"That is not how it works, ma'am. You must keep it or pass it to someone else," he insisted. He was becoming agitated. She signed that god forsaken piece of yellowed paper, she knew what the hell she was getting into.

"I work alone. People get in my way, I kill them. I have things to do, and owning a man's life is not one of them. Let's not soil Carol's with blood and guts okay? Eat the damn noodles, take your fucking contract and get the hell out of here! Run and don't look back! It's worked for me and I've turned out all right," said Ava angrily.

"You may be the Vault Girl, but you are not very sharp, ma'am," said Charon with a scoff. "Maybe you should have read the contract before purchasing it. The rules are clear."

Ava sighed heavily and rubbed her temples, muttering her thanks to Carol who had just brought the noodles to the table. She snatched the contract off the table and read it over for the first time. Her eyes lit up within moments and she grinned. There was a loop-hole here...one hell of a loop-hole, but she was going to use it...she just hoped she wouldn't die in the process. She had seen first hand what Charon could do to a former employer and she shuddered at the thought of him sending a bullet straight into her skull.

"Physical violence on my part forfeits the contract?" asked Ava. She looked up at Charon and he nodded. Ava smiled, folded his contract neatly into a square, and decked the ghoul smack dab across his face. The room suddenly became quiet, shocked by her outburst.

Ava instantly regretted her actions as her knuckles began to swell up and turn a ghastly shade of purple. Ava clutched her hand to her chest and laid her head on the table, gasping in pain. She had to hit him as hard as she could, to show him she was serious and simply not agitated by the fact that he refused to take his leave of her.

"What the fuck is your head made of?" she shouted into the peeling white table. Ava heard Charon's chair screech against the tile and him cocking his shotgun. She didn't have to look up to know it was only inches from her skull. This could only go two ways right now.

"You know why I hit you. You're not gonna shoot me, so get out. I'll hit you again if I have to," said Ava, her faced pressed into the wooden table. Truth be told, Ava was not sure if Charon would shoot her or not. Minutes passed and still no shot, no blood, no mess.

Charon strapped his shotgun to his back and picked up his contract. Ava slowly lifted her head, deciding that it was finally safe to do so and looked up at him. A look of utter relief came upon his face and he tore his contract in half. He never thought in all his pain-filled years that his contract would be over just like that. All he needed was someone like her to come into his life and today, which was just like any other, he was freed.

"Thank you," he murmured. "I will not forget the kindness you've shown me...Smoothskin," Charon said in a low voice.

"You're welcome. Thanks for not killing me," she replied with a foolish grin.

With a nod, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room. Carol rushed over to Ava with a stimpak and pressed it into Ava's good hand, completely shaken by the scene that had unfolded.

"Are you out of your mind? He could have killed you and none of us could have done a thing to stop him!" said Carol. Ava shook her head and gave Carol a pained grin.

"Yeah, well, I didn't really think it through. He didn't shoot me though, that's something. Thanks for the grub and the stimpak. I don't think my hand that I fucked up my hand too bad. Small price to free a man in my book," said Ava.

She cringed as the needle went into her skin. Ava pushed down on the plunger, releasing the medicine, and within a few moments her hand was not as bruised as before. Ava ate the noodles as best as she could given the circumstances, proud of what she had done. She wearily walked over to her bed, giving up on what was left of her nourishment, and leaned against the makeshift wall surrounding it with a sigh. This was a lot to take in for one night. One of the ghouls in the room had been watching her intently since her stand-off with Charon. Something about her interested him, and she stared back, determined to force him to back down.

"What the fuck are you looking at? You think you'd never seen a ghoul before," said the ghoul.

"I have no problem with ghouls. You just watched me cheat death so I could free one," she answered with a snarl.

"Is that so? Even if I call you a milk-sucking, mutant-loving, water-stealing whore?" the ghoul goaded.

"All true, except for the part about the mutants, the water, and the whore. I took milk, just like you when you were a child, I don't love mutants; I actually prefer the company of a particular ghoul and his lovely co-worker, and I'm trying to bring clean water to the Wasteland without asking for a damn thing in return. You're Crowley, right?" Ava said after her laughter sub-sided. She had to laugh at his boldness. She was bold herself, and she definitely appreciated that quality in a person.

The ghoul laughed at her answer and said, "Yeah that's me. I like a human that knows her place."

"Right next to you, my friend," she replied, pointing to the empty chair beside him. He encouraged her to take the seat and she did, holding her head up high.

"Too many of your kind think we're all just zombies. They don't know or don't care that we're just as human as they are inside. We bleed! We hurt! We regret! And you know what really pisses me off?"

"What's that?" Ava asked.

"They think the only way to kill a ghoul is to shoot us in the head, like in the old zombie stories, and that will put us out of our misery. Wanna help me even the score?" he asked with a gleam in his eye.

Ava thought for a moment and said, "Possibly. What's in it for me? I don't come cheap. If something is going to take me away from my duties, I need a hell of an offer."

"Vault Girl, not everyone is as sympathetic to ghouls as you are. Some are downright bigots. I want to make them pay…but uh, before I get into the details, you don't have anything against killing do you?" asked Mr. Crowley.

Ava shrugged her shoulders and told him the truth. "The day isn't complete until I've killed something. Mutants, raiders, a yao guai, doesn't matter to me. My baby," she pat the .44 magnum on her hip, "will send it to hell in seconds."

"Well, aren't you the blood thirsty type? I got this list of people, all of 'em ghoul bigots…" he said as he handed her a sheet of paper. Ava scanned through the short list and raised an eyebrow. Two of the names she recognized and her mind sifted through all of her jumbled memories from the past few months, to see if she could remember one person in particular to despise ghouls.

"You gotta shoot 'em in the head. A hundred caps for each person, twenty-five if you kill them some other way," explained Mr. Crowley. He smiled at Ava while she was deciding what to make of his offer.

"I already killed that fucker, Tenpenny, when I helped Roy Phillips take over the tower. Will I still get paid for him?" she asked.

"Yes, I heard you killed him. That's why I'm asking you to finish the job. Here are twenty-five caps for that old bastard," said Crowley, reaching into his pocket and offering her a handful of Nuka-Cola bottlecaps. Standard currency for the Wasteland. Ava scoffed at the offer and pushed the ghoul's hand back.

"No dice. I want a hundred caps up front for supplies, a hundred for Tenpenny and a hundred for everyone else. I'll get it done. You know what I can do with a gun, and this one name here is going to be a problem. I know where he lives, and I really don't feel like being shot at by the others who've grown to trust me. I have enough enemies," said Ava with confidence. Mr. Crowley growled but stuck out his hand in agreement. Ava shook it firmly and received her caps. Now, all she wanted to do was lie in bed and rest her body. It had enough stress on it already.

Her hand was not throbbing as much as it was once and all she really needed was a bit of Med-x, but she decided against it. Ava would much rather be aware of her surroundings while being shot at or even laying in bed. She pushed open the door to her room and fell onto the mattress, careful not to injure her hand further. The bed springs dug into her spine, the sheets were tattered and stained, and she could hear the radio and the chatter of a few ghouls through the paper-thin walls. It still would be the best sleep that Ava had gotten in days.


	3. You Gotta Shoot 'Em In The Head

Ava was staring blankly at the man wearing pajamas, who was babbling about how he once had a ghoul party girl, waving an almost-empty bottle of vodka around, and shouting that she needed a drink in her hand. The wheels inside her head were spinning very fast. Crowley...he was full of shit. Dukov was just an old mercenary, who was living a fantasy life with two strung out whores. He was not a ghoul bigot by any means, just a drunk fool in denial, reaching for a life that no longer existed. The room itself was a mess. There were empty whiskey and vodka bottles strewn about along with some broken furniture. Ava had to admit to herself that his lesbian chandelier was pretty amusing though...she'd have to get one for herself.

"So tell me about this key, Dukov. What does Crowley need it for?" asked Ava.

She didn't particularly enjoy how he was staring at her. She felt like…meat. His two party girls were lounging on a large bed in the middle of the room and they weren't wearing much. They waved at her with far away smiles...not entirely there in the room with her and Dukov. The Med-X dulled their pain and the Jet amped their desires for a man they did not care for. The girl with gleaming dark skin sat up and tossed a Jet inhaler to Ava's feet before falling back with a smile on her face as the girl beside her kissed her throat. It was nothing like what Ava and Nova sweet caresses late at night when she would stumble into the dark room, tired from running. Tired from being threatened out in the Wasteland...no, this was a sick desire...lust. There was no caring manner behind the girl's caresses, just sloppy hands and wet kisses that meant nothing. It made Ava sick to watch it any further, and she ripped her eyes from the sight just as the dark-skinned girl dipped between the bruised legs of her bed mate.

"I'm not telling you shit. Not unless you drop some caps on the table. Or...you could join our little party here if you like, eh? Then maybe, I give you the key," said Dukov, his Russian accent was heavy. He licked his lips and Ava's stomach churned further.

Ava sighed, remembering the way Nova's hands felt on her back when she would rub out all of the knots that collected in her muscles, and pulled out her .44 Magnum, pointing it between Dukov's eyes. She made a mental note of visiting her girl back at Gob's Saloon sooner rather than later. "How about you just give me the key and shut the fuck up? Now!"

Dukov's hands shook with anger as he handed Ava the key. Her eyes noticed the gun at his hip, and she frowned. Ava could not walk away from Dukov's place without ending his life. It was his life or hers...and she needed to live. Who's life was more important here...the life of a drugged-out mercenary or hers? Ava knew it wasn't truly up to her to decide who life was worth anything, but she could make a choice today, regardless...and live with the consequences later.

"On your knees Dukov. I know you're going to try to shoot me the second I turn my back. I can't take that chance," said Ava. She didn't really want to kill this man but she would not play games with her life. Freeing Charon of his chains opened her eyes to seeing a lot of things...she still had a lot of life to live herself, and this bastard would not have the chance to take hers away.

"Fuck you bitch! I'll fucking kil-"Dukov began to shout.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I made my choice...and so have you."

Ava pulled the trigger and Dukov's body slumped to the floor, face first into a pile of bottles and empty Jet inhalers. Dukov's two women screamed and held each other in fright. Ava would spare them though and couldn't hold back a sick smile when she realized she had shot Dukov in the head. She figured that it wouldn't hurt to make up for her evil deed and she holstered her weapon, the key now safely tucked in her pack, before speaking to the girls crying on the bed.

"I'm going to Rivet City. If you want to come with me, get up now. This is your only chance," said Ava. The girls rushed over to her, clutching each other in a new manner, one of need and safety, and followed Ava meekly towards her next destination.

* * *

The two girls ran from Ava as soon as Rivet City came into view. The head guard, Harkness, was standing at the entrance of the ruined and rusted ship.

"What did you do to them?" Harkness asked as looked at her strangely and waved her inside.

"I saved their lives," Ava replied. "Just like I saved yours."

Harkness grinned at her answer as she walked beneath his arm. "I see. Don't cause any trouble while you're here Miss Flint."

"Me?" Ava cried, feigning innocence. "I would never!"

"I mean it. The rules here apply to you too," Harkness said. Ava coughed out a laugh and rolled her eyes.

The old ship creaked loudly and Ava feared that one day the stairs would rot and collapse from underneath her. Her luck must have been good that day because she bumped into Ted Strayer at the bottom of the steps leading to the living quarters. As usual, he didn't look "all there." Ava suspected he had some sort of chem problem, but at least he was still somewhat functional, more functional than most of the junkie raiders who would take a cheap shot at her when she wandered the land.

"Do you know someone named Mr. Crowley?" asked Ava with a smile.

Ted seemed lost in thought for a moment and said, "Yeah man. My dad knew some ghoul named Crowley. Yeah that's wild, you're bringing back like, memories."

"Look, Harkness doesn't want me to cause any trouble but...Crowley wants me to kill you for some key. Do you have it?" she pressed. Ted's face fell and he nodded. Ava hoped she wouldn't have to get violent. Ted was not someone who really deserved it. She was definitely outnumbered in Rivet City and she knew the guards were trigger happy.

"It's...the only thing I have left of my Dad's..." he whispered.

"Okay, Ted. Let's do this: I tell Crowley I shot you in the head, and you give me the key as 'proof' for that asshole. Is that fair?" asked Ava. The young man looked relieved and reached into his pocket.

"Yeah, yeah sure man. Here," he said as he handed Ava his father's key. "Thanks for uh, not getting all crazy about this key. Maybe I'll…buy you a beer or something. Later man."

Ava smiled and put the key in her pack. All right, she had not turned into a demonic version of herself yet. Only one more man to visit and hopefully he wouldn't be too difficult to persuade.

* * *

A tall metal fence separated Ava from her last target. She could see a few Brahmin and some ramshackle buildings. A couple of small children were playing near the Brahmin pen and Ava called out to them. Kids...she always liked them. The way they played pretend in a post-apocalyptic world filled with dangers and darkness lurking around every corner.

"Come here kid!" she shouted. A little girl rushed to the fence, her face dirty. She wore a tattered dress but appeared unharmed and relatively healthy. Ava felt no need to intervene here. She just need the final key.

"You're not supposed to be here. The Republic of Dave doesn't talk to the outsiders," said the little girl.

Ava kneeled down and pushed her aviator sunglasses to the top of her head. Deep inside, past all the grit, grime, and blackness, was the heart of child. "I'm here to play Republic with you. Does that sound like fun?" Ava asked her. She was like this little girl once; full of hope and happiness. Now, she rarely felt such things. When she watched a free Charon walk out the door, she felt hope. It felt good to have that feeling once again. She did the things she did for people like him...for people like this little girl, and her dad. And herself.

The girl nodded her head and unlocked the gate, grabbing Ava's hand. "I love playing Republic! Can I pretend to be Dave?"

"Of course. Say, before we start playing, can I meet President Dave?" Ava asked, following the girl into the compound. The other children were not as brave as this particular little child.

"Yeah yeah! He's in the biggest house over there. Just remember to call him President Daddy or he'll be real mad," the girl explained.

Ava patted her head and walked inside the old house/ Two women swept the floor and looked up in shock when they saw her, battered leather armor and shining guns slick with a fresh polish. A blonde man sat at a desk and he looked up in surprise when she stepped into the room. He stood up a bit straighter with a calm air about him. Not everyone took to strangers waltzing into their homes as well as he did, Ava had to give him that.

"Are you applying for residency, asylum, or simply vacationing in the Republic of Dave?" asked Dave.

He really thought that this bit of land was a complete and functioning nation. It would be doomed if the Enclave ever set foot near this place. Ava's grin was one of amusement. She could certainly play this ridiculous game, and play it better than anyone else ever had. She had the mouth of the devil himself, a slick, foul mouth with a tongue made of silver.

"Mr. President, I am an Ambassador from the Capital Wasteland. I am here to tell you that we finally recognize you as an independent and great country," said Ava. She stuck out her hand and hoped that the load of crap that fell out of her mouth was believable. Dave took her hand and shook it firmly with his own grin engulfing his face.

"I'm glad we're finally getting recognized. The Republic of Dave is a great place if I do say so myself," said Dave, puffing out his chest.

"I'm also here on other business, President Dave. Do you know a man named Mr. Crowley? I bumped into him and told him I was coming here to meet you. He mentioned a key…" Ava said, choosing her words carefully.

"Now there's a name I haven't heard in a while! Crowley's alive? We left him behind at Fort Constantine while we were on a mission years ago. Dukov, one of the other mercenaries on the job locked him in a room full of feral ghouls. Makes sense that he's alive. Feral ghouls don't attack other ghouls, you see. Another merc, Tara, didn't make it. The ferals took her down and tore her apart. Dukov, Strayer and I ran for our lives, leaving Crowley behind. _I _didn't want to do it, but Dukov and Strayer said it was him or us. You understand. The keys all open doors to the center of the Fort. Crowley must want something he saw on our way in. He did take off from the group to see what else he could find," explained Dave.

Ava took in all of the information and stored in the back of her mind. Fort Constantine. Keys. Feral ghouls. Whatever it was hidden inside the Fort, Ava wanted it for herself. Crowley, the lying sack of shit that he was, could go fuck himself.

"Mr. President, if you give me the key, I can give it to Mr. Crowley and he would be a happy man. It could also be considered a gesture of good faith from the Republic of Dave to the Capital Wasteland," said Ava.

Dave beamed and gave Ava the key without a fight. "That is very reasonable. I feel a bit awful about the whole thing...and I'm never going back there. I'm sure he'll find whatever he's looking for."

"You are most kind, Mr. President. I'll be sure to let my superiors know how generous and progressive the Republic is," Ava said with a smile.

The sun was setting quickly as Ava punched in the coordinates of Fort Constantine on her pip-boy. She would travel through the night if she had to, because what lay behind those doors must be really, really good.


	4. A New Partnership

**Thanks for your reviews and views! Keep them coming!**

* * *

Whatever the hell Ava was after here, it would be the death of her. The robots inside of Fort Constantine had been tearing her apart for too god damn long. She hated always hated and feared machines, ever since Vault 101's Mister Handy, Andy, destroyed her birthday cake. Now there was an arsenal of robots attacking her inside the Fort, completely obliterating the leather armor she wore. She tore a pin from a pulse grenade with her teeth and tossed it into the doorway, where two sentry robots waited for her. The pulse lit up the room with a bright azure light, the color of the sky, and the robots froze where they stood, giving Ava a chance to shoot both of the targets. Her path was now clear and she used the final key to open the door. A faint, blue glow emanated from the center of the room. Ava cautiously walked up to a set of armor in stasis. It was nothing she had ever seen before. Usually, she felt that power armor was much too bulky for her liking but this…this armor would be just fine. There was not a scratch on it either...a prototype of some sort, and it was hers.

She took a quick look around the room and saw a computer terminal. Ava hacked through the aging system quickly and removed the protective field from around the armor. Ava tore off what was left of her leather armor, stripping down to a torn white tank top and brown shorts, and quickly pulled on the T-51b armor and helmet. Ava waited for a moment to allow the suit to adjust to her body and was on her way. Before heading back to the Citadel and her duties, Ava had wanted to see what the old Arlington Cemetery held beyond its gates. One of the few places she had walked past during her explorations and never gave the time to give it a good look. She could get there by nightfall if she ran.

* * *

The sun was setting quickly beneath the cloudy horizon. Ava didn't have much light left to do any decent exploring, so this had to be a quick trip. Ava pushed the gate of the metro tunnel open leading into Arlington Cemetery and walked through the open station when she heard several men shout. A bullet zipped by her ear and Ava ducked as another shot was fired at her.

"Shit!" Ava said to herself. She peeked around the corner and saw a small band of men, all wearing the same armor. The Talon Company had come after her. They had been after her almost since she escaped the Vault. Who had put a hit out on her, she was quite sure, but the bounty must have been pretty high if they kept up the chase for the past few months.

Ava was outmatched, and she knew it. She had been ambushed; the Talon Company was always really good at coming up at her worst possible moments. Exploring always got her into fucking trouble. No ammo, guns, or stupid bobble heads for her growing collection were worth dying over, but still she traveled far and wide to fill up the empty space in her suite. She had run out of ammo for both her Chinese assault rifle and her shotgun after dealing with all of the robots inside of Fort Constantine, and now only had her .44 Magnum with six shots left. Ava didn't even bother trying to use her sniper rifle; the time it would take to set up a shot would surely get her killed. She had to run; it would be her only chance. Ava dashed out of her cover and ran into the cemetery, the mercenaries following close behind her. She ran with her heart beating out of her chest, hoping that she could lose some of the mercenaries dashing around the headstones of fallen men from past times. Hurdling over a faded tombstone, she saw an old house in the distance. If she reached it in time, she could try to barricade herself inside of it. The Talon Company was already too close for her liking. The men shouted all around her, surrounding her with every step they took. Ava just needed to be dealt one solitary card to win this hand. Just one, but what the hell could she do?

A single, powerful shot pierced the night air. Ava panicked. There was a sniper inside the house. A Talon merc tried to grab her arm with a snarl but missed. Ava tore off her T-51b helmet, whipped it across his face as hard as she could, and knocked him to the ground, keeping her run without missing a step. A second merc was closing in on her when another rifle shot was fired, hitting the merc between the eyes, his body crumpling to the withered grass. Ava almost tripped over the dead man and she glared up at the sniper inside the house, knowing the sniper could see her through the scope.

* * *

The sniper had heard men shouting, rousing him from his sleep. He had groggily peeked through the window in the upstairs bedroom and saw a figure running for their life, a pack of Talon Company mercenaries close behind. Talon Company made other mercenaries like the sniper look bad, and he couldn't have that. The figure ripped off their helmet and he saw two wild mohawks, blacker than the coming night. He was protecting a raider? No, raiders didn't wear armor like that...he had peered through the scope and recognized the face immediately. He would not let her die. He would save her, as she once saved him. He pulled the trigger of his rifle again, and took down the closest mercenary to her. She nearly fell over his corpse and the nasty look she directed at the house made the sniper crack a grin. It was something he hadn't done in years.

* * *

Ava didn't know exactly how many Talon Company mercs were behind her; she didn't dare look. There were more shots still, even as she reached the front door and she was almost positive they were directed at them and not herself. She used the side of her body to crash through the door, throwing all her weight behind the impact and dislocating her shoulder for sure, and hit the floor so hard she thought she would knock herself unconscious. Ava cried out as a sharp pain ran down the length of her arm. Without an arm, she was nothing, but there was something more important to fear. Heavy footsteps thundered down the stairs inside the house and she looked up with a gasp. Ava reached for her .44 Magnum and aimed just as the sniper came around the corner.

"Stop!" screamed Ava. "I don't want to shoot you!"

Ava's mouth dropped in shock as the sniper, her savior, stepped into the light of the room. He wore a deadly smirk on his face, and Ava never thought she'd live to see the day when a beast like him would smile. It was...the most sincere smile she had ever seen. She was quick to return it, and warmth flooded her in waves. Her body was taking over, shielding her from the pain, and allowing her to focus on the man who saved her.

"Flint," he said in a deep, raspy voice. "Do you always run like a frightened animal or did I just happen to catch you on a bad day?"

"Charon," whispered Ava. The ghoul offered his hand to her and she took it, grimacing. She ignored his jab; she was just surprised that she heard him talk...because he wanted to...and he was making fun of her. She was too happy with her new found safety to be angry with him.

"Were you shot, Smoothskin?" he asked as he pulled Ava to her feet. Ava just shook her head and closed her eyes in pain. Her mind was simply not strong enough to block every nerve in her body. Looking out the door, she saw several bodies littering the path to the old house and she frowned. They were all dead far enough away from the door that she didn't have to crash through it like she did.

"No, I just fucked up my shoulder breaking through the door. I figured it would be locked and I didn't know if there were any more Talons behind me. I didn't want to turn my head and trip over something," she said. "Now I feel like an idiot."

"It's all right, Smoothskin. Here, sit. Your shoulder appears dislocated. I'll pop it back into place. It will hurt like fucking hell, but it must be done," said Charon, guiding Ava to a lone chair in the kitchen.

Inside of the decrepit house, it was unusually neat. There stacks of canned food on one side of the kitchen counter and several books piled neatly on the stained coffee table. The floor was clear of trash and it appeared to have been recently swept. A small pile of guns, some broken, some rusted and some well oiled and menacing sat on the table in the kitchen. She noticed his modded shotgun sat beside the pile and she frowned with jealousy. If she had a gun that good, things would get done quicker.

"You're talking more," Ava pointed out as she sat down.

"I do a lot of things now that I could not do before. I never thought I'd find so much pleasure in walking through the Wasteland, trading whatever goods I find for ammo and food. It's...different, but good," he said as he scanned his eyes over the kitchen counters. Scowling, he removed his black shirt and shoved it into Ava's hands.

"Bundle that and put it in your mouth between your teeth. I don't wish to be deafened by your screams," he ordered.

Ava did as she was told while Charon cracked his knuckles loudly, making her gulp. Did he really have to instill more fear into her right now? He placed one hand on her injured shoulder and gripped her bicep tightly with the other. He felt Ava shaking and he hoped that he could fix this quickly. He would have to hurt her to help her though, and he wasn't fond of that thought. This girl had saved him.

"Ready?" he grunted. Ava nodded and held her breath. Shit, here it comes... Charon swiftly pushed the bone back into the socket and Ava's screams were muffled by the shirt. Tears streamed down her cheeks at a constant rate. She spat out the shirt onto her lap and panted heavily, gasping for breath.

"Move your arm," he instructed. He watched Ava move her shoulder in a circle and heard a bone crunching pop. Ava screamed so loudly that Charon jumped back in surprise. He had to hurry or else she might go into shock.

"I…I have to do it again. I'm sorry," he stammered, moving towards her.

"No! No more! Fuck!" cried Ava, shoving him away with her good hand. She had never felt a searing pain like this before and she felt so light-headed she thought she would throw up. "Don't you just have some fucking stimpaks?"

"Listen to me," began Charon as he bent down to her eye level. "You are in no condition to fight or traverse through the Wasteland. If I do not pop in this shoulder, your nerves will die and you will be royally fucked. There are no stimpaks in this house, or I would have used them already so suck it up, put the god damn shirt back in your mouth, and hold still."

Ava did not bother arguing with him and wiped her face on the shirt before putting it between her teeth again. She knew the ghoul's words were true. If she wanted her arm to work, she would have to allow Charon to try again.

"I must push harder this time. Get ready." Charon took hold of Ava's arm once more and jerked it into place without much of a warning. The popping noise was clear and Ava bent over, emptying her stomach all over the tile floor. Charon pat her lower back as she heaved, feeling like utter shit that he was the one who did this to her. He reminded himself that he had to do it, to save her arm.

"Move your arm, but slowly this time. We have to be sure it's in place Flint," he said quietly. Ava looked up at him through tear-filled eyes. He was not unusually kind but he was not so callous with her even though she wept like a child. She lifted her arm and carefully moved it. Her shoulder stayed in place and she sighed with relief. Glancing at the puddle of vomit, she looked up at Charon with an embarrassed smile.

"You can just call me Ava. And I ruined your shirt...sorry about that," she said. Ava stared at Charon's well-built chest for a moment. She could see why the women of Underworld fawned over him.

"I have another shirt upstairs, don't worry about that or the mess. I can clean it up. You do need to rest though, so the shitty couch is yours if you want it, unless you'd rather have the equally shitty bed upstairs. You should rest that arm for at least a few days. A week would be ideal," said Charon. He cocked his brow for a moment as he watched Ava pick up her helmet from the floor.

"Where did you get that armor? I have not seen that kind for...almost two centuries really. Since before I became a ghoul," asked Charon.

"That ghoul that hung out at Carol's a lot, Mr. Crowley, fed me a bunch of bullshit and sent me on this wild job to kill 'ghoul haters.' Turns out none of them were ghoul haters; he just wanted these keys. So I decided to go to Fort Constantine and take what Crowley wanted so very badly for myself. He is gonna be pissed, let me tell you," explained Ava. She stared at her feet before looking back to Charon. "I want to thank you. For saving my ass. My arm. I owe you. Name anything you want, and I'll do my best to accomplish it," said Ava.

"It was nothing," he replied.

"No, you saved my life and my arm. That's two things you've done for me. If you're going to watch over me while I stay here, there must be something I can do for you," she insisted.

"Freeing me was a big deal, you know," he said.

"I know, but I can't let this drop. It's not enough for me."

She watched as Charon picked up an old mop from a corner of the kitchen and cleaned up her mess in silence as she cradled her arm. It throbbed painfully, but it was better than the pain of not being able to hold a gun properly in the future. She would have died before finishing her father's work, not from her injury but from the simple fact that she could not possibly defend herself.

Charon tossed the mop back into the bucket, took a seat on the couch and leaned back, digging in his pockets for a pack of cigarettes. "I will admit that I still feel indebted to you. You've freed me from my contract and I only provided some cover fire. I've been listening to what you have been doing on the radio. I would be honored if you allow me to accompany you in your tasks. As you may have noticed, I am a damn good shot. If you watch my back, I will gladly watch yours...and I will get to see more of this land," he said.

Ava grinned at his suggestion. "I know I said I work alone before, but look where it's gotten me. I'd love the company and I'd be stupid to turn it away now. Are you sure this is what you really want?"

The ghoul nodded his head and Ava smiled again before yawning. She was dead tired.

"So, do you want the couch or bed?" asked Charon once more. He'd much rather have the bed upstairs, but he had a partner now...and had to consider her first. She would always be first now. It surprised the ghoul that she suddenly became so important to him, but he recognized her value. What she was doing for the Capital Wasteland was self-less and he could help her, protect her, and make sure she finished it all in one piece. He now had a purpose...a massive one, a way to redeem himself for all of the horrible, disgusting things he was forced to do.

"I'd feel…safer if I took the bed upstairs. I can't really hold our defenses down here if I can barely move my arm, you know?" said Ava.

"Agreed. Good night then," he said to her.

Ava smiled once more and began to walk up the stairs, gripping the rail tightly. Charon watched the Vault Girl until she was out of sight and let out a heavy sigh. He picked up his shotgun and laid it on the ruined coffee table and remembered his sniper rifle was still upstairs. Charon thought about getting up for moment before pushing the thought out of his mind. He didn't want to barge in on the girl as she undressed and the shotgun would be good enough. The trail of dead bodies would make a point as well; if you came near this house, you would die like the rest of them. Charon lay down on the couch once more and felt himself grin once more. There was a new sort of life coursing through his veins now that Ava was here. It was everything he could have wanted. Well, almost everything.


	5. The Drunken Saint Of The Wastes

**Oh man, I had fun writing this. There's some nudity here, but nothing that wouldn't show up on cable TV.**

* * *

Charon walked up the old staircase, to wake up the Vault Girl for breakfast. It had been almost a month since she had arrived, and Ava slept most of the time, getting up only to eat or wash up. The house was just too peaceful to leave behind and both of them cherished the quiet cemetery. There was a bit of small talk, but Charon could not deny the awkwardness he felt, staring at the beautiful woman who would sit across from him during meals. She would do things, simple things like laugh, smile or touch him in conversation and he still was not used to it. He had managed to not burn the mirelurk cakes on the stove today and was proud of himself. Ava had poked fun at him every morning when he would burn whatever he planned to make and he felt like rubbing it in her face for once. The door to the room Ava slept in was slightly open and he heard soft, classical music playing from a record player. He would have knocked, but a lithe shadow was moving about the room. She was already up and awake. He nudged the door open with his boot and peeked in. Ava was standing on her tip toes, stretching out one long leg out behind her before twirling in place. A smile tugged on his lips at the sight. He never imagined to have such an elegance about her. Her legs looked miles long in the shorts that she wore, and her shirt hugged her small curves. She continued dancing as the music grew softer and her eyes were closed as she took in the notes.

"How long have you been standing there?" Ava asked, eyes still shut tightly. The ghoul tensed at the sound of her voice, but she did not seem angry.

"Since the song began," Charon said quietly.

"I'm almost done...and then...I'll be down for breakfast," Ava said between breaths, her pirouettes becoming more frantic along with the music. The ghoul found it stunning to see something so incredibly beautiful inside of a ruined house, in the middle of post-apocalyptia.

"Do you mind if I watch?" The ghoul asked. He almost kicked himself as the words escaped his mouth.

"Why, you like it?" Ava asked with a smile. She threw her head back dramatically and his pulse quickened.

"There aren't...that many things worth watching anymore. But I do find this relaxing, if that makes any sense," he explained, hoping that he didn't sound like a complete fool. He certainly felt that way.

"Take a seat then, you don't have to stand," Ava said, pointing to the armchair in the corner. Charon shuffled over to the chair and sat down, a bit unsure if she really wanted him here or not. "I'll entertain you, since you always make us breakfast."

Ava lifted the arm of the record player and started the song over. This time, her moves were more wild and seductive and Charon pulled at the collar of his shirt, a warm flush making its way up his chest. It was wrong for him to be here...someone like Ava did not deserve to have the company like him.

Her slender hands waved through the air and she glanced at the ghoul, who looked as if he were about to have a mild panic attack. "You okay?"

"I feel...as if I am not supposed to be watching you," he admitted in a low voice.

"What, you feel like a peeping tom?" She asked, her laughter making the great beast gulp.

"To a certain extent, yes."

"I told you it was okay. It's not like you walked in and caught me in bed with my girlfriend or something," she replied.

"Figures," he muttered to himself.

"What was that?" Ava asked.

"Nothing, Smoothskin. Just keep doing your thing," the ghoul told her.

"I'm surprised you didn't ask if you could watch or participate when I mentioned my girl," she said. She jumped high into the air and landed on the tips of her toes once again. "I always get that when men find out about us."

Charon chuckled and Ava laughed along with him. It was nice to hear him laugh.

"I would never do such a thing. Now, if you told me that the pair of you needed a man, I guess I could force myself to help out," he said, feeling bolder. So, the girl was not interested in men. That made things a lot easier now. The awkwardness between them disappeared in an instant. There was no need to treat her any differently; she was just one of the guys. He could never land someone like her anyway...

"I dunno...Gob would feel pretty down if we had another man join us instead of him," she said. She lifted her arms above her head and snorted with laughter when she saw Charon raise his brow.

"Wait...Gob? As in, Gobtholomew, Carol's son?" Charon asked. There was no possible way they could be talking about the same person.

"Yep," Ava answered. "The very same."

"But...you just told me you had a girlfriend," he said, sitting forward, trying to make sense of their conversation.

"I said I had a girlfriend, yeah, but I never said that women were my only preference," she reminded him.

"Gob is a ghoul," Charon said, still a bit shocked.

"And? Doesn't bother me or Nova. Like I've told you before, when I look at ghouls, I just see other people," she said. The Vault Girl gave him a wink and bowed when the song ended.

A small smile appeared on the ghoul's face and he said, "That was lovely."

"Why, thank you kind sir," she said. "I'll meet you downstairs, okay?"

The ghoul nodded and stood up, closing the door behind him. Ava gathered all of her things that were thrown about and looked outside of her window. The sun was out and the day looked lovely. It would be nice to finally be able to leave the house after being cooped up for so long. She pulled on her armor, walked down the stairs, and saw Charon hunched over the kitchen table, a half-eaten mirelurk cake sitting on a plate beside him. He was meticulously cleaning all of their weapons and was now working on Ava's sniper rifle. He thumbed over the word "Victory" etched into the metal barrel and leaned it against him. Ava leaned on the table and picked up her Chinese assault rifle, examining it closely. The ghoul did good work.

"Do you _ever_ clean your guns?" muttered Charon.

"I do, I just haven't had time," she said.

"Make time. If we are working together, I must depend on you to have my back."

"Yes Sir," said Ava. Charon raised his brow before continuing with the cleaning.

"Do you feel well enough to travel?" asked the ghoul. "You seemed healthy enough to be dancing about in your room."

He carefully pushed a spring into place and began to assemble the rest of the gun. Ava grabbed a bottle of water from her pack and drank it as she grabbed a mirelurk cake off the pan on the stove and stuffed it into her mouth. Charon didn't burn them today...that itself was impressive.

"These cakes are good, Charon. Taste a hell of a lot better when they aren't black and burnt," Ava said, her mouth filled with food.

"Are you really talking with food in your mouth?" Charon asked her, satisfied that she could finally enjoy a meal of his. "I just saw perhaps the most beautiful bit of dancing upstairs and now you look like a damn pig."

Ava swallowed the cake and gulped down a bit of clean water before flashing him a smile. "I'm full of surprises, you know."

"Yes, I can see that. You've managed to morph from elegance to cave man in less than five minutes," he mumbled.

"My arm is feeling much better," she said with a yawn and ignoring his jab.

Charon slowly reached for the heat concealed at his side. "Perhaps we should test it," he whispered. He had been wondering what this fragile little girl was capable of. It must have been sheer luck that she has survived since leaving the vault…

He pulled out a silenced 10mm handgun and attempted to aim it at Ava, but she knocked it out of his hand with the butt of her rifle. She caught it in mid-air and pressed the barrel of the handgun to Charon's cheek. The ghoul met her gaze for a moment before he continued cleaning the rifle. The girl was deadly. Ava laughed and tossed the gun on the table.

"You are quick. Where do you want to go?" he asked.

"I want to stop by my home before I do anything else. You're more than welcome to stay there with me. The suite is pretty huge," said Ava. Charon eyed her with curiosity. He finished putting her rifle together and wiped his hands on a rag.

"So where is home?" asked Charon.

"Tenpenny Tower."

Charon was taken aback. Maybe the Smoothskin was a complete and utter fool. "You are aware that the guards wouldn't let me within fifty feet of Tenpenny Tower, right?" he asked slowly.

Ava smiled and helped Charon pack up what few belongings they both had.

"I'm pretty sure you'll be allowed in. I'll explain on the way there. It'll take us a few days maybe, if we take our time. Don't want to strain us," said Ava.

She helped Charon gather his things together and within ten minutes, they were standing outside of the house, both smoking cigarettes and appreciating that the sun did not burn as strongly today. The wind picked up for a moment and the ghoul sighed as the withered trees shook for a moment.

"Wanna play a game? You know, to make things more interesting for this long trip," Ava proposed.

"What game, Smoothskin?" Charon asked her.

"Let's see...who can rack up the most kills on the way to Tenpenny. I'll show you what I can really do," she said.

"You mean show me how well you can run? I already know that," he teased.

Ava swatted at his arm and he laughed loudly. Having someone by your side who did not force you to do things against your will was grand in the ghoul's eyes. He had never had a friend until now.

"Fuck you," Ava growled.

"You wish I would," he said, surprising himself with his response. What the hell has gotten into him? It was all this freedom. That had to be the reason.

"I think you have that mixed up," she replied with a grin.

"Is that really your retort? I've heard better from the junkies back at the Ninth Circle," he said. Ava rolled her eyes and brushed past him, mumbling nonsense that he could not hear.

They set off and soon, the Arlington House was miles behind them.

* * *

"Let me get this straight. Roy Philips gave you a penthouse suite in Tenpenny Tower because you helped him?" asked Charon with surprise. Ava nodded and kept her pace steady. Tenpenny Tower loomed in the distance; they should be there in an hour's time.

"And you're the only smoothskin living there?" Charon pressed. He had never met a stranger smoothskin in his lifetime. She had only been out of the vault for a few months. Ava had been sheltered most of her life and Charon could hardly believe that she learned her finesse by shooting radroaches inside the vault. She was the daughter of a scientist, however, and Charon came to the conclusion that that's how she could pick up things so quickly. That and doing half of the shit he heard on the radio.

"Well, it's me and an older gentleman living there as well. You know who Herbert Dashwood is, right? Roy and his ghouls were killing off the other tenants but I asked Roy to spare Herbert on the grounds that he is an Honorary Ghoul in Underworld. He's kind of like a surrogate grandfather to me," explained Ava as she climbed over a small pile of rubble. Her foot slipped but Charon had caught her before she could fall and gave her a shove over the top of the rocks.

"I don't need your help, you know," she said with the hint of a snarl.

"Quite aware, Smoothskin," Charon replied. "Next time, I'll let you split your skull open."

"Thanks, jerk," Ava spat.

"Roy is notorious for hating smoothskins. He goes out of his way to kill them. The fact that he spared both you and Daring is impressive," said Charon.

"You call him Daring?" asked Ava, looking back at the ghoul.

"We go back. He tried to free me from Ahzrukhal decades ago, but Ahzrukhal threatened to send me after him. I would have been forced to kill Daring, even though I did not want to. I got into a fist fight with Argyle at the bar a few days later when he called me a coward for not leaving Ahzrukhal," said Charon. He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and lit one. He offered it to Ava, who took it eagerly. "It was the only time I attacked someone that Ahzrukhal did not order me to while under contract with him."

"Who won?" she asked, passing the cigarette back to him. The ghoul snorted with what sounded like laughter. It made Ava smile to hear it so often.

"Argyle was out for the count after two hits," said Charon.

"Did Ahzrukhal make you do a lot of things you hated? Is that why you killed him when I bought your contract?" Ava asked.

"Yes. He deserved to die like a dog," Charon growled.

Suddenly, the ghoul shoved Ava to his side, lifted his shotgun, and shot a Robo-brain that had been hiding behind a boulder.

"My kill," said Charon. Ava glared at him. The son of bitch...

"You're such a fucking cheater! I obviously had the clearer shot! That one shouldn't count!" Ava said loudly.

"Oh, but it does, Smoothskin. Three of your kills, the two mole rats near Megaton and the raider about an hour ago, all could have been my kills yet you stole them. The score is now my thirty to your twenty-seven kills. Face it; I'm the better shot, Ava."

Ava turned away angrily and the pair walked in silence the rest of the way until they reached the gates of the tower. Ava pressed a small, black button on the intercom and waited for a voice to answer.

"The hell do ya want?" asked a harsh voice over the intercom. "There's no more room here, so you and your buddy can fuck off."

"It's _me, _Ava. Open the damn gate, it's hot out here," she said with a hand on her hip.

"Oh, sorry Ava, couldn't tell it was you with that helmet on. Who's that with ya?" the voice asked.

"His name is Charon. He's my..." Ava searched for an appropriate term, "new partner. I can vouch for him. Open the fucking door! Why am I still standing out here?"

The ghoul opened the door without another word and Ava walked in, Charon only steps behind her. Ava shook hands with the ghoul and Charon heard her call him "Michael." Ava turned to Charon and handed him a tarnished, silver key.

"You can go ahead without me if you want. The room is through those doors. Take the elevator to the top floor and my room is on the immediate right. I'll be there in a minute okay?" explained Ava. Charon took the key and walked through the heavy doors.

Turning back to Michael, Ava asked him how things have been. Michael had just begun to tell her the story of a man with three pet robots when a commotion was heard inside. Ava and Michael looked at each other and rushed in where they found Charon and Roy Phillips in a stand-off. Ava ran forward and stood between the two ghouls, pushing the barrels of their guns away from each other.

"What the hell? I can't leave you alone for five minutes without you trying to kill something?" asked Ava as she locked eyes with Charon. Charon stayed silent and chose to aim his shotgun at Roy once more.

"Keep your fucking pet on a leash, Ava!" Roy warned. His hand gripped his Uzi tightly but his arm shook. Whether it was out of anger or fear, Ava could not tell. She did know that Roy liked being top dog here though, and Charon was obviously a threat.

"Don't fucking call him that! Charon's not under contract anymore so I can't exactly stop him from blowing your brains out!" shouted Ava as Charon began to step forward. She placed a hand on Charon's chest and held him back as much as she could. If he really wanted to, he could knock her over with ease but Ava hoped either man would listen to reason.

"Well then would you kindly inform him that my woman is off limits?" snarled Roy. Ava looked back at Charon but his facial expression had not changed. He was furious and Ava had to diffuse this situation quickly before Charon started killing everything in sight.

"Did you make a pass at Roy's girl?" Ava asked Charon. She was curious to see if Charon felt other feelings besides the urge to kill and the need to protect. She prayed he wouldn't be an uncontrollable fiend now that he was a free man. She had to share a room with him...

"Why the fuck would I do such a thing? There are far better-looking women in this room to gawk at than she," he answered. A growl rumbled out of Roy's throat and Ava gave Charon one last shove. Charon lowered his weapon and looked down at Ava. Charon was dying to tear Roy Philips' jaw off his smug face, but he didn't want to jeopardize Ava's living situation.

"Go upstairs. Right now. Don't argue with me, or I won't have a place to live. Go!" Ava whispered harshly. Charon glared at her before walking towards the elevator. Charon jabbed the call button and waited for the lift to come down.

Behind him, Charon heard Ava say to Roy, "It's not Charon's fault that he's attractive. Tell Bessie to stop staring at _my_ partner. Shit, I come home and expect some peace and all I get is a bunch of crazy ghouls trying to kill each other."

"That motherfucker came in MY territory and-" Roy began.

"Oh come off it, Roy. You're not the only person who lives here and even if he did look at her, who cares? I can bring in whoever I want," Ava said.

The argument ended when the elevator doors opened. Charon gave Ava a half-smile when she walked into the elevator with him. She thought he was attractive, huh? She just gave him something else to poke fun at her for.

"You're an asshole, Charon. I almost lost the suite," mumbled Ava.

"Well, excuse me for being...how did you put it, Smoothskin...attractive," he said with a widening grin.

Ava groaned as the doors opened and muttered, "Great. Now I'll never hear the end of it."

Charon opened the door to her room and walked in after the Vault Girl. The room was quite large and it even had its own Mr. Handy floating about.

"Good afternoon, Madam!" the robot chirped when it caught sight of Ava.

"Shut up, Godfrey," Ava snarled, pulling out her Blackhawk and blasting the robot. It fell to the tile floor with a crash and the ghoul stared at her, bewildered by her actions. She shrugged and said, "What? I hate robots. All of them. Ever since I was a kid."

Ava threw her pack on a desk along with her helmet, stepped out of the bulky metal armor, and flopped onto the heart-shaped bed, pulling the satin sheets around her and smiling happily. It was nice to be home.

"What the…" whispered Charon as he noticed the tacky lamp hanging over Ava's bed. Two women, locked in a...well, that sure as hell wasn't a loving embrace. Ava looked at the ghoul who was now towering above her.

"Don't judge my taste in furniture, asshole. I like coming home to something that makes me laugh. Now that you're here, I have something else," said Ava before covering her face with a velvet pillow, smothering her laughter.

"Don't push it Smoothskin," Charon growled. Ava snickered and patted his leg lightly. She got up and walked over to a second set of doors, pushing them open and unveiling a large balcony. Charon walked out onto the balcony behind Ava and watched her lean against the railing. A breeze ruffled the strips of hair on Ava's head and Charon felt an unfamiliar feeling surge through his chest. He felt…abnormally warm. The heat escalated when Ava smiled.

"You…you smile too much," he blurted, tearing his gaze away from her green eyes.

Ava laughed heartily. "Smile too much? How can anyone smile too much?"

"You do. It's so damn annoying. And why the hell would you do that to your hair?" he asked.

Ava continued laughing and walked back into her room, leaving the balcony doors open. She squatted down in front of a trunk beside her bed and pulled out a clean pair of black pants and a white t-shirt.

"Turn around," Ava said over her shoulder.

"Why?" Charon asked nastily. He didn't mean for it to come that way, but he was annoyed, more with himself than with her because of the growing feelings in his chest.

"Fine, if you want to watch me undress, go right ahead," she said with a shrug. "Rub one out while you're at it."

The second she pulled off her shirt, revealing a black bra beneath it, Charon turned and faced the bookshelf, covering his eyes with his hand. How the hell did she manage to turn everything around and make him look like some love-struck puppy? He should have just stared at her anyway, just to shut her up, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"I'm decent, you can look now," Ava said. "I'm going down to the bar for a drink. Wanna come?"

The ghoul shook his head as he stifled a yawn. "I'd rather sleep than get drunk. Go ahead."

"Yeah…maybe it's best if you stay here for a bit so Roy can cool down. Sleep anywhere you like. Don't wait up!" called Ava before she left.

Charon lay down on the surprisingly comfortable bed and was asleep within moments. That girl would be the end of him. Shit.

Hours later, Ava stumbled into her suite. It was almost four o'clock in the morning and the whiskey pumped through her veins, causing her actions to be clumsy and awkward. She tripped over some armor, probably something she left on the floor earlier and tried to focus on the bed in the darkness. What little light that came in through the open doors of the balcony wasn't really helping her. It was nights like this that she wished Nova lived with her so she could curl up with someone. The thought of Nova fresh in her mind, Ava drunkenly began to undress before throwing herself on the bed, which was strangely lumpy and hot. She probably left her weapons on the bed again. She burped loudly and giggled as she felt for whatever was jabbing into her spine under the sheets.

"Nova..." Ava mumbled, remembering her girl once more. Her hand drifted across something that felt like warm leather. Maybe she left some armor on her bed too.

Charon woke up and realized that an extremely drunk Ava was sprawled across his lap, her hand resting on his bare stomach. He could barely see her in the darkness.

"Get the hell off me, there's a whole other side to this bed," he whispered sleepily, reaching out to shove Ava away. His hand brushed against her soft skin and she leaned into his touch. He cracked open an eye and saw his fingers resting on the curves of her hip, leading to a smooth, round-

He sat up in complete shock when he realized that she was naked.

"What the fuck?" Charon shouted. He pushed her off himself and promptly fell out of the bed, hitting his head on the chair beside them. Ava started laughing at the sound of his voice as she rolled in the sheets.

"Charon! I forgot you were here! I'm sorry I'm naked, I just get so hot when I'm drunk and I was thinking about Nova-"she babbled. Charon rubbed the back of his head and he stood up. He took a seat in the vacant chair and sighed loudly.

"It's fine! Just...just go to sleep. You're lucky I'm too tired to point out that you were groping me," he said.

"I was? Shit, I hope my groping was good," Ava slurred.

"Go...to...sleep!" Charon bellowed. He waited for Ava's snores before allowing himself to sleep once again. How he managed to do so with thoughts of her not wearing a damn thing beneath those sheets, he didn't know.

* * *

A loud knocking woke Charon. He glanced at the clock on the wall; it was almost eight o'clock in the morning. He groaned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. This was the second time he had been roused from sleep and he was not amused. The knock came once more, causing Ava to stir in her bed. Her blanket slid from her shoulders and down to the small of her back. Charon stood up, grabbing his combat knife from beside his chair and opened the door a crack.

"WHERE IS THAT BITCH?" shouted a very angry Mr. Crowley through the door.

"I assume you're talking about Ava. She is sleeping, come back later. Or don't. I don't really give a shit," said Charon as he began to close the door. Mr. Crowley held it open with all his strength. Charon realized he was just wearing his leather pants and that Ava was in bed, not wearing much of anything. He could only imagine what Crowley was thinking. Ava's eyes opened slightly, and widened when she saw Crowley standing at the door.

"Fuck," she groaned. She didn't think Crowley would follow her to Tenpenny Tower.

"Your bitch owes me my fucking armor!" shouted Mr. Crowley. Charon growled and grabbed Crowley's throat. He brought the knife up to just below his adam's apple and pressed hard. No one was going to talk about _her_ like that. Not while he was there.

"_My_ _bitch_ doesn't owe you a god damn thing," said Charon. He growled once again and punched Crowley right in the jaw, knocking him to the floor. "And if you ever come looking for her again, I will strangle you myself. So fuck off, we're trying to get some sleep!"

Charon slammed the door closed and locked it. Ava looked relieved to be rid of Crowley and smiled at her friend gratefully. Charon sat in his chair and leaned back, closing his eyes.

"I cannot speak for you, but I am dead tired," said Charon quietly before drifting off to sleep. Ava pulled the covers over her body once more and went back to sleep with a smile still on her face.


	6. Behemoths

There was too much noise for Ava's liking, and the light coming into the room was killing her eyes. She shouldn't have drank so much. She pulled the blanket over her head and groaned loudly, trying to remember what she did after the fifth shot of whiskey with Michael and Roy. Ava hated the mornings after a good night. Couldn't remember shit, and the hangovers were the worst. The door opened and closed, and Ava heard heavy footsteps nearby. She felt the sheet being gripped by a pair of hands near her waist, and it was ripped from her hands as she shrieked loudly, covering her bare chest. She opened her eyes and glared at that bastard that exposed her. Charon chuckled, walked over to the trunk beside the bed and began sorting through the various bits she had collected since leaving the vault.

"You know, a guy should buy me dinner before he gets to see me naked," said Ava, wrapping herself in the sheets once more. Charon smirked as he tossed a thin black shirt at her head.

"And usually, a woman would give me some warning before throwing her naked body into my lap," he answered. "Since I received no warning before you decided to start rubbing your hands all over me, you don't get dinner. Now we're even." He watched Ava's face turn bright red and laughed loudly. It was the highlight of his day, to pester his lovely partner.

"I…I did not do that!" she stuttered. How much _did_ she have to drink...for her to be the one to cop a cheap feel on someone else? Wait, that was how she ended up with Nova in the first place...

Charon sat on the bed beside her and allowed himself to smile, remembering the events of the previous night. Although shocked beyond belief about it all, now he had the ability to find humor in Ava, the Saint of the Wastes, trying to grope him in his sleep. It was almost ridiculous, really.

"Tell me _everything_ I did when I came in," Ava growled.

"You sure you want to know?" he asked.

"If you don't tell me, I'll smother you with one of these fucking pillows when you fall asleep tonight!"

"I was in bed, dead asleep, right? I woke up to you lying across my lap and for some reason, you decided to do it without clothes on," Charon explained with a smirk. "And then I think you called me your girlfriend's name, and I don't know if I should feel more sorry for you or for me in that regard, and then you started rubbing on my-"

"All right, that's enough talking for you today!" she interrupted.

"Don't worry, you didn't make it to the exciting parts. I pushed you off and fell out of bed before you could," he said.

"Isn't that a fucking shame?" she snapped.

"Indeed. It was the first time a smoothskin decided to put her hands on my hide and I had to go and be a gentleman and push her away," he said before chuckling to himself.

"Fuck you," Ava snarled.

"Right now? At least try to seduce me, Smoothskin. I'll put up a fight and everything; make it believable," he said with a raised brow. "I'll tell you that a ghoul like me has no business burying himself inside-"

"Please shut up," Ava begged. She had created a monster, albeit a somewhat charming one.

"I'll go out for a smoke then," he said.

Ava quickly pulled the shirt over her head, her face still a burning shade of red. Charon stood up and walked outside to the balcony, grabbing a pack of cigarettes off the desk before closing the door behind him. Ava sighed in relief and appreciation, knowing Charon was giving her a moment to collect herself. Ava dressed quickly, pulling her leather armor on just as Charon walked back inside.

"Roy wanted to speak to you by the way; I told him you were sleeping. He left this for you," said Charon as he handed Ava a note. She read it over and paced around the suite. Charon sat down on the chair he had slept on and stared at Ava's backside. She was incredibly fit. He had no idea how she could possibly fit herself into such tight pants. Ava turned around to face Charon and his head snapped up. That was too close; she almost caught him that time.

"Roy's been having problems with the Raiders at Evergreen Mills. He wants me, well, I guess us, to see if we can 'take care' of them. The residents have been worried that the Tower will be attacked," explained Ava.

"Are we going to go over there today?" asked Charon.

"Yeah, we should just get it over with so that Roy will quit his bitching," she said. "Gather whatever you think we'll need and I'll do the same."

Charon picked up his combat shotgun, a few frag grenades, and Ava's Chinese assault rifle. Ava chose her favorite sniper rifle, the Victory Rifle, and her Blackhawk before locking the suite door behind them. Standing in the elevator, Charon realized that Ava's face was still flushed and a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Still embarrassed?" he asked.

"Of course I am, you moron!" said Ava.

"If it makes you feel better, it was dark and I couldn't really see much...except your ass," Charon said. The door opened and Ava ran straight into Herbert Dashwood. Ava thanked all of the possible deities ever to exist for this distraction.

"Herbert!" Ava shouted loudly as she threw her arms around the old man. Herbert smiled and patted Ava's back.

"Dear child, I haven't seen ya in ages! Any new adventures Three Dog hasn't got a hold of yet?" Herbert asked.

"I was attacked by a group of Talon Company mercenaries, but this big guy here saved me. I had no ammo left. He's a hell of a shot if I do say so myself," said Ava. "He's a great friend. I'm glad to have him beside me."

Charon swore that if he could blush, the heat on his scarred face would have given him away. He had no idea that Ava held him in such high regard. Herbert looked past Ava and smiled widely at him. The men shook hands.

"Charon, I never thought I'd see you away from Ahzrukhal," said Herbert.

"I have Ava to thank. She freed me, and now I follow her by choice. I will fight alongside her until her goal is accomplished, and I will stay longer if she asks me to," said Charon. Ava beamed up at the ghoul and he returned her gaze with a nod of his head. Charon hoped Ava knew that he meant every word and was grateful that she saw him as an equal.

"We're going to take care of that little Raider problem. I could use the target practice after almost losing my arm," said Ava.

"Just come back in one piece. I'll buy us some drinks when you come back. Now don't let me keep you two," said Herbert with a tip of his hat.

"A drink would be nice," Charon said.

Outside of Tenpenny Tower, Ava felt blinded by the intense sunlight. The gate closed behind her and Charon with a loud clank and the pair walked through a leveled neighborhood, their feet kicking up dust, as they were surrounded by the frames of old wooden houses. The air was hot and arid, causing Ava's mouth to dry up quickly. She reached into her pack and chugged a bottle of water greedily, offering half to the ghoul, who finished it off gratefully.

"Thank you, Smoothskin," he muttered, tossing the bottle into the dying grass.

Ava held Charon's elbow for a moment and pointed off into the distance. There was a party of six raiders, most of them armed with petty weapons. Charon and Ava stared at each other for a few seconds before Charon darted forward. Ava rushed after him determined to get the majority of the kills.

"Found you!" Charon yelled, blowing the head off a raider's shoulders. "That's thirty one!"

"Son of a _fucking_ bitch," Ava muttered to herself. She aimed her .44 Magnum and shot down three of the raiders in quick succession. She only had to kill one more raider and they'd be at least tied for the lead in their sick little game. Ava gutted another raider with ease, the blood drenching the ground beneath his feet.

"I have thirty one now! Ha!" screamed Ava.

Charon scowled at her and began chasing the final raider who was limping away in a feeble attempt to save his own life. Ava and Charon both aimed at the raider's back within milliseconds of each other, and ended his life in a spectacular blast of gore.

"Thirty two!" shouted Ava and Charon in unison. They exchanged glares and Ava marched up to the ghoul, jabbing a thin finger into his chest. There was no way, no fucking way, that she would allow him to add this piece of shit raider to his score.

"Don't even try to claim that kill, that bastard was mine and you know it!" Ava said with irritation.

"No way little girl," Charon said, shaking his head. "You may have helped, but I certainly killed him."

"Your brain must be rotting away after living for so long, because that motherfucker-"

"We'll do this: It belongs to no one since we both shot him. Let's keep things fair and civil," said Charon with a hint of warning in his voice. Ava's body relaxed and she let out a heavy sigh.

"All right, you win. Let's keep going, my pip-boy says we're close," said Ava, tapping away at the computer mounted on her wrist.

They walked up the hillside and within an hour, Evergreen Mills was in view. Ava and Charon stood behind some tall rocks and looked down into the large chasm below them. Old trains stood on unusable tracks, alongside one large building and several small shanties. To Ava's surprise, the raiders had built an electrified cage of some sort and it held a super mutant behemoth.

"How the hell did they get that behemoth inside that fence?" asked Ava.

"It is a small one for behemoth standards, I have seen larger. They probably drugged it," said Charon. Ava carefully walked over to the largest building and leapt across the small gap, landing quietly on the metal roof. Charon followed, though he wasn't as silent. Ava shot daggers at him with her eyes.

"Do you have to be so god damn loud?" she hissed.

"What? It's not my fault that I weigh more than you!" he whispered.

They both crawled to the edge of the roof on their stomachs. Charon lay right up against Ava's right arm and leg and it made him realize how much smaller she was. Ava peered through the scope on her Victory Rifle, counting how many raiders they had to kill. She could start to pick some off from their vantage point...but that could raise the alarm and overwhelm them. There had to be an easier way...and then an idea was presented just before she took her eye away from the scope.

"Hey, I bet I can blow up the generator for the fence from here. One shot," whispered Ava, wriggling her eye brows. Charon stared at her and shook his head. There was no way she could pull this off.

"The hell you can, not with one shot," replied Charon. Ava carefully set up her shot and aimed at the generator's weakest point.

"Oh yeah? What will you give me if I destroy it with the one shot?" she asked, nudging his ankle with her foot.

"My modified shotgun. No strings attached," he said with certainty. "You will never make that shot. Even I couldn't."

"You're gonna eat those words, Charon. Kiss your shotgun goodbye." Ava smiled and squeezed the trigger.

The shot immediately set the generator on fire and it blew, cutting the power off to the electrified fence. The behemoth stumbled back and rested its hand on the dead wires before it crashed through and gave an ear-piercing roar.

Ava sat up on her knees and gyrated onto the metal roof, whooping in celebration. Charon covered his eyes and groaned in defeat. Looking up from behind his hand, he saw Ava was now strutting about and the raiders were focused solely on the behemoth. It crushed raiders beneath its feet and thrashed about, knocking over trains, and Ava still danced away, resting her hands on her hips and lifting her legs in a stiff march as she bobbed her head with every step.

"Fuck yes, I am the superior sniper!" she shouted.

"Smoothskin..." Charon warned. She was much too close to the edge. Charon blinked twice and Ava slipped off the roof. Her screams throbbed in his head as he scrambled after her.

"AVA!" he shouted, looking over the roof's edge. Two smaller ledges had broken her fall but she lay knocked out on the dusty ground at least forty feet below him. The behemoth turned and set his eyes on the Vault Girl, a sneer curling up on its face.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Charon said to himself. He jumped down to the lower section of the roof, and then the other. The ghoul took out a frag grenade and lobbed it as hard as he could past the behemoth. It exploded behind a wrecked train and the behemoth lumbered towards the explosion, distracted for a moment. Charon leapt down and rushed over to Ava. She had begun to sit up and he yanked her to her feet.

"Run you fool!" he yelled into her ear. He took a firm hold of Ava's shoulder and she cried out in pain. Glancing down at her arm, he noticed her shoulder had popped out once again. He grabbed her good arm and pulled her forward, towards the entrance to Evergreen Mills.

"God damn it Ava, run!" he shouted once more. "Come on, come on!"

The behemoth had turned its ugly, green head towards them when Ava yelped. It roared loudly and chased after them, knocking over train cars that stood in its way. Charon cocked his shotgun once they were out of Evergreen Mills, turned, and fired a shot at the behemoth's feet. It did nothing to stop it or slow it down.

"Jesus!" the ghoul muttered under his breath. It would take a lot more than a shotgun shot to bring that thing down. He and Ava kept running, their legs and chests burning. This would be a shitty way to die. He ran for his life, grabbing Ava's hand and urging her to run faster.

"Look...who's running...like an animal...now," Ava choked out.

"Don't...be...stupid..." he said. "Now...is...not...the right...time...to point this out!"

"Of...course...it is! Don't you wish...you weren't...such a...fucking gentlemen...now?" Ava asked.

"We're about...to fucking die...and now...now you tell me...that I...should have...taken...advantage of you?" Charon shouted.

"No we're not! We're...near Jury Street Metro...we can...hide in the tunnel!" screamed Ava as she jumped over some train tracks.

"I swear...if we...live through this..." Charon began.

"You'll what? Cry...like a little girl?"

"Fuck...you..." he growled. The Smoothskin sure as hell picked an odd time to take a few jabs at him.

"Is...that...a promise?"

"God...damn it..." Charon muttered angrily. "If I say yes...will you shut-"

Out of the corner of her eye, Ava saw it.

"Fuck! Another behemoth!" screamed Ava, pushing Charon out of the way as a fire hydrant slammed down inches from where the ghoul had been.

The ghoul tumbled to the ground and Ava scrambled over to help him to his feet. They stood, Charon clutching Ava to his chest as a much larger super mutant behemoth loomed above them, dragging a pole with a fire hydrant attached as a sledgehammer behind it. The two behemoths roared at each other, completely oblivious to Ava and Charon, who stood between them. The smaller behemoth staggered forward, making the first attack. Ava and Charon ducked as the larger behemoth swung his sledgehammer. Ava felt the breeze through her hair as it passed over her.

"We have to get to the tunnel NOW!" Charon bellowed, making a run for the covered gates.

Ava ran towards the tunnel with Charon a few feet in front of her. The smaller behemoth was knocked to the ground and Ava had to jump over its massive leg to keep her pace. The entrance to the metro tunnel was only a few yards away, but the behemoths were closer. The smaller behemoth staggered to its feet and shoved the larger beast just as Ava made it between them, almost getting crushed in the process. Charon skidded around the corner and made it under the awning of the metro without being seen. The smaller behemoth was struck in the head with a sickening thud by the larger behemoth and it fell in front of Ava, shaking the ground. Ava screamed as the large behemoth now focused on her. She ran faster, around the bleeding corpse of the fallen behemoth and the great beast lunged for her. Charon stepped away from the tunnel, shotgun raised, and held Ava close to his chest with his arm as she ran into him, still screaming.

"I've got you!" Charon shouted. "I won't let you die!"

With one hand and a menacing scowl, Charon pulled the trigger, shooting the behemoth point blank in the face. Blinded, the creature screeched with pain as it threw its head back and roared, holding its face and thrashing about wildly. Charon tore the chains off the metro's gates and pushed Ava inside, slamming them shut behind him.


	7. Sixteen Tons

Charon held the gate closed with all his strength, but the super mutant behemoth was pushing back. He could hear its heavy breaths as it tried to push its arm past the gate. Charon's feet slid back and he knew if he slipped, the behemoth would crush him behind the gate. Ava sat a few feet away from him, clutching her arm and shaking uncontrollably with wild eyes. He was surprised that she was not unconscious yet; she must be fighting a hell of a battle with her mind to stay awake.

"Help me!" he shouted, struggling to keep the gates from opening. All it would take would be the behemoth to use its full strength and it could push the gate open with little effort. If it weren't for the metal awning blocking most of the beast's body from the gates, it would have crashed through already.

Ava did not budge from her spot. Charon lost his footing for a moment but held his ground and did not allow the behemoth to push the gate open. He had to keep Ava alive...but she had to help him.

"Ava, you said you'd have my back so prove it! I need you to take my shotgun, and push it through the handles here!" Charon roared, his voice echoing throughout the tunnel. "Please...I need you!"

Charon feared that Ava would not follow through with her promise and he would die right then. To his relief, she crawled over to his feet and picked up his shotgun with a shaky arm. Charon snarled loudly and gave one last push against the gate. She quickly pushed his shotgun through the handles and Charon stumbled back, breathing heavily. He picked up several metal poles and shoved them through the handles as well, for extra strength, and he fell flat on his back, exhausted. He managed to turn himself over and with a gasp, he wrapped his arm around Ava's thin waist and dragged the pair of them further away from the gates. The ghoul sat up and pushed the Vault Girl behind him, shielding her with his body, before he reached for his Chinese assault rifle and aimed for the door with a growl.

"If it comes through, run...and I'll cover you...okay?" he whispered. He felt her shake her head by his shoulder.

"If...it breaks through...I'm staying...with you," she croaked.

Ava and Charon both looked up at the gate and grimaced in unison when it was pushed forward. It had bent Charon's shotgun beyond repair. The behemoth roared from beyond the gate and the great beast lumbered away, giving up on its attack. Charon let his head fall back onto the concrete beside Ava's thigh for a few minutes before he stood up.

"Your shoulder, come on," he said gently.

Ava was shaking almost violently and Charon was worried she would go into shock. She held out her arm and he held on to it tightly, thankful that she wasn't crying hysterically this time. He pushed the joint back into her socket without warning and Ava held back a scream that could have shaken the walls. He rubbed the back of her head until her breathing slowed and he took the time to look her over for any more injuries...there were a few scrapes where her leather armor had torn from her fall, but nothing too serious. Charon dug through her back pack and pulled out a few stimpaks along with a Med-x.

"How many of these do you want me to use for your arm?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Ava held up four fingers and pushed away the Med-x. Charon tossed the syringe back into her pack and rolled up a bit of Ava's sleeve. She leaned against the cool brick and felt a warmth rush down the length of her arm as Charon injected the stimpaks, healing her. The color slowly returned to her cheeks and he knew she would be all right to move within a day.

The sunlight faded as those hours passed and so did the light coming into the tunnel. Charon found an old battery and light bulb behind some rubble, and used it to give them some light. Ava was lying on her back, using her pack as a makeshift pillow. Charon lied beside her with his Chinese assault rifle in his arms. He closed his eyes and yawned widely.

"You are a pain in my ass, Smoothskin. The things I do for you, and it's only been a month or so," he muttered.

"Beats Ahzrukhal's though, doesn't it?" she asked.

He grunted in agreement. She couldn't be more right than that. Charon was getting everything he wanted. Fresh air, adventure, and it didn't hurt that he was with Ava, whose company he was becoming fond of.

"Are you all right? That was a hell of a fucking fall you took," asked Charon.

"Yeah, it was. My arm's a little sore, but nothing like last time. Thanks for saving me. Again. Sorry about your gun."

The ghoul held up his hand and said, "It's okay. I will modify another one when I have the chance to. Would you still like it? You did destroy that generator with one shot," said Charon.

"No. You made damn sure that I didn't get ripped apart by _two_ behemoths. I think that's good enough," said Ava as she closed her eyes.

"If you say so," he replied.

"Hey..." Ava whispered in a tired voice. "We're alive. You know what that means..."

The ghoul chuckled and said, "I never said _what_ I would do."

"So, what was it?" she asked.

"I was going to ask you to teach me that stupid dance you were doing before your dumb ass fell off the roof...but I'm much too tired to strut right now. Maybe some other time," he said.

"You're," Ava yawned loudly, "no fun, you old grump. G'night. I owe you."

Charon got comfortable and gave Ava a second once-over before resting his own eyes. He wouldn't let himself sleep though, not when they were both so exposed. Ava was his priority now and he refused to let anything happen to her. Hopefully, they could leave the cramped tunnel by morning.

* * *

At six a.m. sharp, Charon nudged Ava awake. The light was coming into the tunnel once again and it gave Charon enough light to gather their things. Ava was quiet but still gave him a small grin every time he looked over at her. It was enough to make his stomach jolt with each glimpse. Charon pulled his ruined shotgun and metal rebars from the handles of the gate and tossed them into a pile of debris. Ava frowned for a moment before she holstered her .44 Magnum. It was her fault his prized possession had been ruined. She watched Charon slowly opened the gate and peeked outside.

"Is that fucker gone?" Ava whispered. Charon nodded and waved her forward. They cautiously walked up the few steps and into the open.

"How is your arm?" Charon asked over his shoulder, scanning the area. He heard something move in the brush behind the ruined diner, but nothing presented itself. Must have been the wind.

"It feels almost normal. Having stimpaks helps a lot," she said.

"Just make sure you perform your ridiculous celebratory dances on more stable surfaces and not the edge of a roof," said Charon.

Ava made a face behind him as they walked by the diner, its windows blown out and the door hanging off its hinges. The morning air was cool and pleasant causing the dirt to stick to every available surface the moment a breeze passed. Charon heard a rustle in the brush once more and immediately pointed his rifle in that direction. Four Talon Company Mercenaries stepped out from behind the diner and all of them had their laser rifles and shotguns pointed at Ava. The ghoul felt his hackles rise in his throat and he bit them back.

"We've been looking for ya, Vaultie," said the leader of the group. "You can't expect us to just sit back and let you be the Angel of the Wasteland. There's a hell of a bounty on that pretty head of yours..."

"Fuck, not you assholes again," said Ava with a groan.

"And now you got a bodyguard, eh? Afraid of us?" taunted the leader.

"I think it is you who should be afraid, since I was the one who massacred the pathetic group of Talons at Arlington Cemetery," Charon snarled. His voice was like venom and it sent a chill up Ava's back. The mercenary laughed and some of the men in the group raised their guns with wicked smiles.

"I love it when they go down fighting," he said with a laugh. "Just let us kill the girl, and you'll go free. We don't have a bounty for any ghouls right now."

"You will not touch a hair on my Smoothskin's head, asshole," Charon growled. "So if you want her that bad, you'll have to go through me...and you won't live to see the sun fall."

"Charon!" Ava said, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Shut the fuck up, Ava. I'm not afraid of these maggots," the ghoul said with a sneer.

The leader of the group turned to his men and said, "Well, you heard the zombie. We gotta get through him to kill this bitch, so let's show him who he's fucking with..."

Charon stepped in front of Ava with a snarl, knocking her over, just as the first series of shots rang out. She struggled to pull her gun from her holster but there was too much dust and grime being kicked up by all the men. The ghoul easily dispatched the mercenaries with his seemingly flawless shots and in seconds, they were all dead. Ava rubbed her eyes and sat up, smiling at the dead mercenaries on the ground in front of her.

"I cannot begin to tell you how awesome you are, Charon," said Ava.

She spat a bit of dirt out of her mouth and looked up to see Charon bent over, using the assault rifle to hold himself up as he clutched his side. She stood beside him and he grabbed her good shoulder with a vice-like grip, sending the rifle to the dirt with a clatter; his hand was shaking.

"Charon?" she asked softly.

"A…Ava…" he croaked. Charon moved his hand and revealed a gaping wound in his side. Ava also noticed several shot around his thighs.

"You…you were shot!" she cried.

Charon fell to his knees, taking Ava down with him. She pressed her hand against his injury, trying to stop the bleeding but he pushed her away. She had to get away from here...before the noise of the fight brought on curious creatures and men...

"Just leave me here you fool. I have lived long enough," he whispered.

"That wasn't a life that you had! That was hell. What we have now, this is living! Please, you can't leave me. You said you'd help me with my dad's work. Are you going to go back on your word?" she asked desperately.

Charon stood up very slowly, using his assault rifle as support once again. "I…I will not go back on my word. But I don't think I'll live if we don't get to a doctor," he said. Ava dug through her pack and used her last stimpak on the wound in his side before wrapping her arm around his waist.

"Megaton isn't far away. I think I can support your weight until then. Come on fatty, let's move," said Ava. "Keep talking...I need you to stay awake, Charon."

"Fuck you, I'm not fat," he managed to mumble, remembering an old song from way back when, from before the war. "_Some people say a man is made outta mud_."

Ava grinned despite their shitty situation and sang softly, "_A poor man's made outta muscle and blood."_

Charon smirked, surprised that Ava knew such an old song and whispered with a painful groan, "_Muscle and blood and skin and bones..."_

"_A mind that's weak," _Ava continued.

"_And a back that's strong," _he said.

"Come on and show me how strong that back is then," she said. "_You load sixteen tons, what do you get?_"

"_Another day older and deeper in debt. Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go...I owe my soul to Ava Flint..._" said the ghoul.

"Those aren't the words!" Ava said with a grin.

"They make more sense that way," he croaked. "Keep going...this is helping..."

"The next verse makes more sense if you say it," she said.

The ghoul nodded slowly and continued the song in a low voice. "_I was born one morning when the sun didn't shine. I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine...I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal..."_

"_And the straw boss said-_" said Ava.

"_Well, a-bless my soul,_" Charon mumbled.

"_You load sixteen tons, what do you get?_"

"_Another day older and deeper in debt. Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go. I owe my soul to the company store._"

"I like this song," Ava quipped.

"I as well," said the ghoul. "_I was born one mornin', it was drizzlin' rain. Fightin' and trouble are my middle name."_

"_I was raised in the canebrake by an ol' mama lion_," sang Ava.

"_Cain't no-a high-toned woman make me walk the line,_" Charon said loudly.

"Yeah, we'll see about that," she laughed. "_You load sixteen tons, what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt. Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go, I owe my soul to the company store_."

"_If you see me comin', better step aside. A lotta men didn't, a lotta men died,_" he said with a growing smile.

"_One fist of iron, the other of steel-_" Ava sang.

"_If the right one doesn't get you, then the left one will,_" Charon growled.

"Hell yeah, I know that's right!" Ava said loudly.

He had never felt so grateful to have Ava by his side. Old songs aside, he really owed her for this one. She refused to leave him behind...and he knew they would be a team, a hell of team, to be feared in the Wasteland.

* * *

Ava and Charon stumbled and walked for almost two hours before they reached Megaton. She pushed the door open to the city and almost had to pull Charon through. He had grown considerably weaker and had been coughing up blood for the past ten minutes. She pulled him up the ramps towards one of the larger buildings. Charon glanced up and saw a sign with a name scratched out. "Gob's" was sloppily written over it. That's right...Gob lived in Megaton now.

"Gob! GOB! Open the fucking door!" screamed Ava.

Charon thought he was hallucinating from the loss of blood. There was a nuclear bomb in the center of town and he was pretty sure that people were worshiping it. He ached to splash some of the irradiated water on himself but Ava insisted on dragging him up the ramps. A ghoul wearing a dirty and tattered white shirt held the door open for them. Charon recognized Carol's son almost instantly.

"Ava, what happened? And what the hell are you doing with Charon?" asked Gob with wide eyes.

"God damn it Gob, help me here! He's a huge guy if you haven't noticed!" Ava shouted as Charon began slipping from her grasp. Gob took Charon's other arm and they both dragged him to a room behind the bar, where a stunning woman stood, washing a set of glasses. Her orange hair was a mass of waves and curls over her hazel eyes and if this was the woman Ava was seeing...shit, she had good taste.

The girl looked up with her mouth rounded into an "O" and she yelled, "Honey what happened? Who is that?"

"I'll explain later, baby...dying man in my arms!" Ava said with a gasp as Charon stepped on her boot.

"S-sorry," he mumbled, gripping Ava's arm.

"She's fine, Charon, Ava's got another foot, I promise...damn it Nova, don't just stand there gaping! Put those gorgeous legs to some use and open the fucking door!"

"Sorry, Gobbie!" Nova muttered as she rushed over to open the door. "Ava, are you all right? Your armor is torn to shreds!"

Ava laughed and said, "I fell off a roof...behemoths almost killed us...you're good with a needle and thread, right?"

"BEHEMOTHS?" Gob bellowed, letting go of Charon and almost sending Ava and her ghoul to the wooden floor.

"DAMN IT GOB, I'LL TELL YOU LATER!" Ava shouted.

"Shit, sorry kid," said the younger ghoul.

Gob and Ava managed to get the giant ghoul through the small doorway, and Charon crashed down onto the small mattress with a gasp of pain.

"I need you to undress," Ava said to Charon as she threw her things on the floor. Charon coughed into his hand and looked over at Ava with a scowl.

"No," Charon growled. Nova peeked from behind the door frame and Gob began to take a few wary steps back. Ava didn't know who she was dealing with...and he wouldn't be surprised if Charon sat up and ripped her throat out for talking to him like that.

"Take off your fucking pants!" Ava shouted. She grabbed a pail off a shelf in the room and added, "You better be undressed when I come back, or I'm smacking your smart mouth!"

Ava rushed out the door leaving Charon alone with Gob and Nova. They were both still staring at him with opened mouths, in awe of the massive being who managed to make the mattress look like something that belonged in a doll house.

"What the _fuck_ are you looking at?" Charon growled.

Gob took the woman's arm and pulled her away from the room. "Yep, he's still an asshole...wonder how the fuck Ava ended up with him?"

"Is he dangerous?" Nova asked.

"That...would be a fuckin' understatement," Gob admitted.

Charon undressed slowly and his face twisted in pain. He threw his black shirt over his lap as Ava ran back in the room, holding a pail of spilling water. She reached for the shirt but Charon grasped her wrist with surprising strength for being so close to death.

She flashed him a small grin before whispering, "Didn't know you were so touchy about that. I wasn't trying to peep at your goods on purpose...maybe it's not as impressive as I think..."

"Fuck you, Ava," he groaned, holding his wounds.

Ava took a clean rag and cleaned off his injuries using the water from the pail. His skin prickled, sensing the radiation in it. Most of the puncture wounds knitted almost instantly but the largest would not, no matter how much water she used. Using a needle and thread that she grabbed from a first aid kit beneath the bed, she stitched the large gash in his side closed. Ava then took a pair of tweezers and pulled a bullet from his thigh. Bright red blood began to ooze out with each breath Charon took. Ava panicked and she reached for the Med-x in her bag.

"Tell me about your life," asked Ava as she injected him with the medicine. "I don't know enough about you, and I'd like to change that."

She had to find the torn artery and stitch it closed before Charon bled out. He coughed loudly and tried to keep his eyes open and focused on Ava. She was so beautiful...god, how could she touch him without flinching?

"I do not remember much...I have been a slave since I was a child. I remember bits of my training but chunks of memory are just…gone. I used to serve in the United States Army, I remember that...before the war...I killed men...so many men...Jesus..." Charon whispered, his face twisting from pain to utter horror. "What have I done? I'm...I'm nothing but a fucking murderer..."

"You had to, I don't think less of you," she murmured gently.

"After that...my memory fails me. The most I can recall is from the moment Ahzrukhal purchased my contract and everything since. He held my contract the longest...that motherfucker..." Charon explained.

"What about when we first met? You remember that, right?" asked Ava. Gob wordlessly brought her a handful of stimpaks and Med-x before he closed the door behind him.

"I could never forget you, Ava. Even if I tried. You were the picture of...beauty and all that is good when you came in...I'm sorry I was so cold...to you..." said Charon. His breaths were becoming short and raspy. Ava numbed up his leg as best she could before she started digging for his injured artery.

"Stay awake! Did you ever have a wife? Lovers? Kids?" she asked loudly, ignoring the heat creeping up her face when she realized he had called her beautiful.

Charon slowly shook his head from side to side. At least he told her that he thought she was beautiful...she had bought him enough time to say it.

"N-never. I have only known killing and torture...no one could love a monster...like me...Is it…cold in here? It's too cold," he whispered.

"Yes...it's fucking freezing in here," she lied.

"Good...I thought it was just me..."

"You are NOT a monster, Charon. No monster could put up with my crap and let me live." Ava found the artery and stitched the tear quickly.

"I'm so tired Ava…I…I don't think I can keep my eyes open for much longer. I just want you to know, I am glad that most of my freedom was spent with you. Even though you are a pain," he said.

"Damn it Charon, stay awake!"

"I c-can't...S-smoothskin..."

"DON'T LEAVE ME! **CHARON!**" Ava screamed at the top of her lungs.

She injected him with all the stimpaks she had and threw the remaining water over his leg. The bleeding finally stopped and Ava stitched the injury closed before setting up an I.V. Line with shaking hands and two blood packs. Ava threw herself over his chest and sobbed with relief. She hoped it was enough...

After a few minutes, Charon's breathing returned to normal and he wearily placed a hand on the back of her head, smoothing his hand over her strips of wild hair as she wept, her warm tears wetting his skin. His thigh and side were numb from the Med-x, dulling the crippling pain that he knew was there but could barely feel.

"Why are you crying?" he whispered.

"Everyone I care about gets taken away from me. If I lose you, I have no one on my side. No one," she sobbed.

"You have Gob and your girl, Nova...she is quite beautiful by the way. I'm impressed."

"It's...different with you," she admitted. "I want you to stay with me."

Charon's chest rumbled with pleasure at her confession. She cared for him, and he couldn't ask for anything more.

"I am not dead yet, so smile a little bit," he said.

"You said I smile too much!" she cried, snapping her head up.

"I lied. I find your smile…pleasant. Most of the people in this world don't smile nearly enough, including myself," Charon said.

"I've caught you smiling more than once around me," said Ava.

"I blame you."

Ava wiped her forehead and sighed. She didn't feel well, and she knew it was because of the contact with the irradiated water. Her movements had become sluggish, and she felt sick to her stomach.

"What's wrong?" he asked with concern, forgetting that he had almost died.

"I didn't want those crazy bomb lovers to harass you when you were near death. That's why I brought you here and brought the water to you. The water…I just need to take some Rad-Away. I'll be fine. Just rest now," she said.

The corners of Charon's mouth twitched up when he realized she was willing to get radiation poisoning to save him. What else would she surprise him with? He may have been close to death but he felt truly lucky to have Ava. The girl had his back for sure. He would never doubt it again.

* * *

**The song in this chapter is called "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford. I do not own this song, but shit, it's bad ass and fits a certain ghoul almost perfectly.**


	8. Can't Come Back

Ava sat the bar with her head resting against the cool counter top. Nova had really worn her out this time around. It was good to be back at her second home, away from all the dangers beyond the gates of Megaton. Ava's enemies knew better than to come to Megaton for her, and it was one of the few places she felt safe. It was almost three in the morning and Charon had been asleep for a day and a half. Ava wanted him to have some rest, and she had just changed the set of blood packs that hung over his head as he snored loudly. She tried her best not to laugh too loud at his mumblings; she had heard her name several times. Sometimes he sounded irritated, and other times, he sounded...happy. Deciding he would wake up when he was ready, Ava let him be.

For the past hour, she watched Nova and Gob flirt with each other. It was sickening and downright adorable, to say the least. Nova had been much more affectionate with Gob since he told her she no longer had to sell her body, and Ava was glad they had each other since she was gone so often. One day, after Ava was done with her adventures, they would all live together. Maybe Charon would stay with them too. Every few moments Nova would take Gob's hand or brush up against him. She was proud of her two friends for taking charge of pretty much everything concerning the saloon since she killed Moriarty.

Ava remembered that night clearly. It was...ugly. And the last straw...

"_Gob, Carol and I have been saving up...and, well, here," Ava whispered, shoving a heavy bag of caps towards the ghoul when Moriarty had turned his back to them._

_The ghoul sifted through the bag's contents and looked up at Ava with wide eyes. "Kid...this is a lot of fuckin' caps...I can't."_

"_Yes you can, Gob!" Ava hissed. "Give them to that motherfucker and tell him you're done with him and this place! I'll take you to Carol's and everything!"_

"_I can't leave her...I can't...she's the only reason I'm still alive," Gob whispered, looking over his shoulder at Nova's empty corner. A bed creaked loudly upstairs and Gob winced. _

"_You think I'd leave her behind?" Ava asked._

"_No, but Moriarty won't ever let her go," said Gob with a frown._

"_What the hell are you two whispering about?" Moriarty shouted, smacking the back of Gob's head. "There are other customers here besides the Vault Girl!"_

"_Fuck your customers," Ava snarled._

"_You watch your god damn mouth, little girl, or I'll throw you out so fast your head will be spinning!" Moriarty sneered. He glanced over to the bag in front of Gob and snatched it away, his eyes widening with sick greed. "What's this Gob?"_

_Gob rubbed his arm nervously and cleared his throat. "It's...uh..."_

"_A tip for my favorite bartender," Ava announced. "Gob doesn't work here anymore."_

"_The fuck are you playing at, Flint? This isn't enough to pay off Gob's debt," the fat man growled._

"_It is...actually," Gob said in a shaky voice._

_There was a scream from upstairs, forcing both Gob and Ava to look up with worry. "I said I won't do that!" Nova screeched. _

"_Nova..." Gob whispered. _

_Ava slid off her chair, clutching her Blackhawk tightly as Gob shoved Moriarty aside with a snarl. They both ran up the steps leading to the rooms and Ava heard a resounding slap, along with Nova's __frightened whimpers. Gob was furious; Ava had never seen him so angry before. He kicked the door open and they saw Nova's suitor pinning her to the wall, ripping her skirt with his hands, a sick leer on his drunken face._

_Gob rushed forward and pulled the man off his friend, punching his face harder than he ever thought he could. _

"_Get the FUCK away from my girlfriend!" Ava snarled. _

_The man staggered to his feet and Gob punched him again, sending him right back to the floor boards. Moriarty had waddled up the steps and shoved Ava aside before grabbing Gob's shoulder, pulling him away and throwing her against the wall. Her head hit the boards with such force, she had to fight to stay awake as dots floated across her eyes. Moriarty raised his hand to strike Gob and the ghoul didn't flinch for the first time in his life._

"_GET BACK DOWN THERE YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHI-"_

_Nova crawled over to Ava, her eye turning a rich shade of bluish-purple, and Ava pointed her gun, pulling the trigger without hesitation. Moriarty slumped against Gob and fell to the floor, smearing the ghoul's white shirt with his blood and gore. Ava smiled wildly, surprised that her body had reacted without any thought process whatsoever. _

"AVA!" Gob shouted, ripping the Vault Girl from her thoughts. "You all right?"

"Of course she is," Nova cooed, stroking the side of Ava's face with the back of her hand. "Strongest girl I know."

Ava stared at her friends. They fit somehow; they made it work...and it gave Ava hope. She could not deny the surge of feelings she felt towards Charon when he almost...she didn't want to think about it anymore. He was alive and that was all that mattered to her. She saw the ghoul as her closest friend...she had even told him about what had happened with her father, something she couldn't tell Nova or Gob. But Charon seemed to understand her loss, having seen much of it himself, and she felt like...he actually understood why she would do the things she did. It was stupid really, to get so worked up over-

"Gobbie, did you give Ava her mail?" Nova chirped.

"Oh, that's right. Completely forgot. This one came for you about two weeks ago, and this one came in earlier today," said Gob as he handed her a pair of envelopes.

Ava opened them with her curiosity brimming and had to stifle her laughter. She didn't want to wake Charon. Damn, these letters were hilarious though.

"What's up Ava? Who sent them?" asked Nova as she leaned over Gob, trying to read the letters for herself.

"They're from that dumb ass, Mr. Burke! Oh man, this is the fucking funniest thing I have ever read! Who writes this shit?" Ava said. They all laughed loudly, remembering Ava's seduction of the man hell bent on blowing up Megaton.

"Don't keep us in the dark, read them!" said Gob.

No one noticed Charon walking down the stairs; bare-chested and his stomach covered in bandages. He had woken up wondering where the hell he was for a moment, remembered that he nearly died and Ava was the one who saved him, and then decided he felt well enough to move and dress himself.

Ava sat at the bar, holding up a note of some sort as the woman and Gob leaned towards her. Charon immediately noticed how close Gob stood by Ava and he made a fist. He was going to sit beside Ava, where he belonged, whether Gob liked it or not.

"_Beloved_," read Ava in a dramatic voice. "_I must beg your indulgence a little while longer. I am not yet able to send for you. Stay in Megaton. Once my business has concluded, I will send for you, and we will live happily as man and woman. The memory of your beauty and sweet aroma lingers in my memory_-" Ava could not continue because she was laughing so hard that tears fell.

"What the hell? The last thing I'd remember about a girl I was obsessed over is the way she smelled," said Gob. "The beauty part, he's got that right though."

Nova swatted at Gob's head with a laugh. "Read the other one! What did your man have to say in that one?" she asked.

"Oh please. That man wishes he could be my lover. Anyway, this is what he wrote in the second note." Ava cleared her throat and read, "_The pain of your absence is at times crippling. But I must persevere. I must!_" Ava raised her arms dramatically and almost knocked over her drink. Gob spat out his beer and the women laughed loudly.

"Am I late for the party?" Charon asked suddenly. Ava turned and her eyes widened with happiness.

"You're up! Are you okay? I really tried my best to fix you up because there's only so much that radiation can do without killing me and-"

"I feel well. Thank you, Smoothskin," said Charon quickly. Ava pushed Gob out of his chair and Charon sat beside her, wearing a smug look on his face. He didn't miss Gob raise an eyebrow at him and they quietly shared their own little stand-off, the girls oblivious to it all.

"How does it feel to be free? Feels good, eh? Ava told Nova and I all about it," Gob said, breaking their stare. Charon nodded and looked over at Ava.

"My life has improved beyond measure. I am fortunate to have met Ava and I am glad I took the mercenary's shot for her," said Charon.

Ava blushed furiously and she tried to hide it behind her arms. It was in vain, because Gob had already noticed. Oh god, she was...one of them...one of the women who fawned over the big guy. The younger ghoul almost choked out a laugh at the thought. It made sense. Ava was batshit crazy with blood lust, and so was the massive ghoul sitting beside her. Of course she would like him.

"Let me check those bandages…you might just have to wash up with some irradiated water and that's all," said Ava. She hopped off the bar stool and gently peeled the gauze away from Charon's leathery skin. Everything looked much better; Charon healed at an incredible speed.

"You look well enough to join me for a visit to the Vault, if you want. My pip-boy picked up this message from my old friend, Amata. It sounds like everything went to hell after I left. I feel responsible in a way, and I want to help," explained Ava.

The ghoul nodded and walked back upstairs, mumbling something about cleaning their weapons. He had staked his claim against Carol's son, and he was satisfied. Gob turned to Ava with a huge smile on his face.

"Ava…I can't…believe I just saw you blush. I also can't believe that the person who made you blush was him," whispered Gob as he pointed up the stairs.

"What's the big deal? He made her blush," said Nova. "He's gorgeous, ghoul or not."

"You don't understand, Nova. I _know_ Charon. Known him for years. He was a cold-hearted monster who would kill anything that pissed him off. I have never seen him look at anyone, and I mean _anyone_, like how he looks at Ava," said Gob. "Someone...has a crush on our little Vault Girl."

"I don't see it," said Ava. "I think I annoy him most of the time actually. Most of our banter is nothing close to romantic...it's actually pretty filthy."

"You do more than annoy him I'll bet," said Gob with a smirk. Ava raised her eyebrows at him.

"I think I'm going to bed. Night guys. Oh and, try not to be so loud tonight. I couldn't sleep at all with Nova shouting your name for an hour straight. Good stamina though, I'm impressed," said Ava with a smirk of her own. She walked up the steps, leaving a thoroughly embarrassed Gob and Nova behind.

* * *

Ava allowed herself and Charon to sleep into the late afternoon the next day before they purchased supplies from Moira and walked over to the vault, Megaton shrinking behind them.

"So, none of these people have been outside the vault?" Charon asked. Ava shook her head.

"They...will be frightened of me...looking like this you know," said Charon. "If they shoot at either of us, I am shooting back, I don't give a fuck what you say."

"You look fine and we'll be fine. I won't hold it against you if you defend us."

They walked up to the vault entrance and Ava punched in the password into the small computer screen by the door. It beeped once and the vault door slowly opened; the screeching sound of metal against metal and pistons was deafening. Charon cocked his newly modified shotgun, preparing himself for the inevitable pointing, shouting, and gunshots he was so used to. There were signs covering the floors all with warnings from the Overseer. Ava opened a second door and immediately ran into a security guard.

"Ava! I almost didn't recognize you with all the dirt and grime…that hair too. What are you doing…Jesus! What the hell is that?" asked the guard as he pointed at Charon.

The ghoul shook his head and muttered, "Same shit, different day."

Ava held up her hand and said, "Charon, relax. It's okay Officer Gomez, he won't hurt anyone unless you piss him off. Now, where's Amata? I swear to god, if she's hurt I'll-"

"Whoa, calm down. Amata's not in danger. You're back though…that's trouble. If Amata has something to do with it, then she's in trouble too," said Officer Gomez. He looked down at his feet and paced the length of the small room. "I should report this, Ava."

"Are you sure you want to raise the alarm? It will be the last thing you ever do," Charon said, taking a step towards the man. Ava's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. He looked down for a moment and she shook her head.

"No, no! I'm on Ava's side, I'd never say anything, out of respect for her dad," said the guard.

"I always knew something would go wrong down here…" she said.

"It wouldn't have if your father hadn't opened the door! Things were just fine until he decided to go on his little walk!" said Officer Gomez.

"Well, now my father is dead," Ava said bitterly.

"I'm…I'm sorry. He was a good man. A lot of people thought he had the right idea. The Overseer didn't like that one bit, and started cracking down on those thoughts. He didn't plan on you coming back though…and with back-up to boot."

"Charon is the best," said Ava with a pat on the ghoul's forearm. She saw the corner of his mouth move slightly with just a hint of a smile, enough for her to notice.

"I probably should place you under arrest and take you to the Overseer but I know better than to try that. Not with your muscle here. Amata is down in the lower levels with the rebels," said Officer Gomez.

"I'm going. Don't try to stop me," said Ava. Officer Gomez held up his hands and stepped out of the way. Charon uttered a low growl, feigning a punch as he walked past the guard and Ava pulled his arm.

"Try to keep calm," she warned. Charon rolled his eyes and followed her down the hallway. He couldn't fathom Ava living in a place like this. It was too cramped, too cold, and too metallic. Everything she hated and more. No wonder her father left. He would have done the same himself.

The hallway opened up to an atrium of sorts, and they saw an older guard holding a man about Ava's age at gun point.

"You can't keep the Tunnel Snakes in here forever old man! We don't care what the Overseer says!" shouted the young man.

"Get back I said!" shouted the guard. The younger man reached in his pocket and the old guard flinched, pulling the trigger and missing his target. Ava rushed up and grabbed the old man's wrist, giving the young man time to run away.

"Mr. Taylor! You almost shot Freddie!" shouted Ava.

"Don't you know enough to stay away?" said Officer Taylor. Charon stepped up beside Ava, causing the old man to shrink back in fear. The ghoul looked up and noticed a sign above a round window that read, _'Hard work is happy work'_ with the words _hard_ and _happy_ scratched out. What the hell sort of place did Ava grow up in?

"Fine. I have to go anyway," said Ava.

"Yes, you do," said Officer Taylor in a cold voice. "You never should have come back. You aren't wanted here! Everything that's happened...me losing Agnes...that is YOUR FAULT!"

Ava stood silently before walking through another door and down a flight of steps. She couldn't shake the hatred that she saw in Officer Taylor's eyes. She had known him all her life and he was always kind to her. Now he treated her like the devil.

Charon saw Ava pick up her pace and he knew what the old man said had bothered her. He couldn't see why she was so upset; they were just empty words from a clearly senile man. Around the corner stood another young man, wearing an old, black leather jacket. His eyes lit up when he saw Ava, and Charon decided to keep to the shadows instead of following his Smoothskin.

"Butch," said Ava. "I was hoping you died, to be honest, or were at least crippled..."

"Damn! Look who came waltzing back into the vault? It takes some real balls to come back here after you and your dad fucked everything up! Make yourself useful for once. Help us," Butch demanded. "Unless you're still the cold bitch you've always been."

Charon snarled and stepped out of the shadows, pressing his shotgun against Butch's temple. How dare this poor excuse for a man speak to her like that.

"Ava takes orders from no one. Is this clear? I should fucking cut your tongue out for talking to her in that manner!" Charon growled.

"Call it off!" shouted Butch. "AVA, CALL IT OFF! FUCK!"

"I don't know...I think I like watching you piss your pants," Ava said with a sick grin.

"Say the word and he dies," Charon muttered, his eyes still locked with Butch's.

"Not just yet. Butch, what makes you think I'm here to help you?" asked Ava.

Butch gasped as Charon pushed the gun harder against his head and said, "You get off on helping people. Isn't that why you saved my mom? Your old man had the right idea though. I need to get out too!"

"I'm here to help the whole vault."

"Screw the vault, help me!" he shouted. Charon cocked the shotgun and pointed it directly into Butch's face.

"What the fuck did I just tell you?" said Charon angrily.

"Oh god, Ava, help me please!" Butch cried. Ava gently puts her hand on Charon's gun and he lowered it immediately.

"And why should I help you again? You tormented Amata and I when we were kids. I seem to remember a certain fist fight that you and I had before we took the G.O.A.T…you gave me this scar, remember?" Ava said, tapping a thin scar on her face where Butch's ring had cut her. "How my father managed to put the teeth I knocked out of your fuckin' mouth, I'll never know. "

"We was just a bunch of stupid kids, I never meant any of that! I'll never bother you again after this. I want to start a gang and we'll be the most bad ass motherfuckers in the Wasteland! Play your cards right, and I'll let you join. Maybe even be my best girl," said Butch with a smile.

Charon grabbed Butch by the throat and pinned him to the wall, baring his teeth. "The hell you will..."

Ava laughed and said, "If you haven't noticed, the most bad ass motherfucker in the Wasteland is my partner. You know, the one choking you with one hand. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into. You try to follow me or talk to me again and I give Charon here full permission to deal with you as he sees fit. Sound good, Charon?"

"Very," said Charon as he dropped Butch to the floor. Ava made sure to step on Butch's fingers as she walked over him. Charon was not as kind...and he kicked Butch right in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. Ava saw a young woman and waved, running down the corridor. The ghoul waited until she was out of ear-shot and he bent down beside Butch with a smirk. "I want you to think long and hard about what my girl has just told you...because if I see you again, I will enjoy tearing your spine right out of your back."

"Your girl?" Butch asked. "She...she wouldn't want anything to do with a zombie like you!"

"That is where you are mistaken," Charon said. "Ava cares for me...and I her...so if you wish to live, you'll never come near her again."

Charon stood up, satisfied with himself and gave Butch another kick before following Ava down the corridor. A girl ran over to Ava, hugging her tightly, and she said, "Oh my god, you're back! I can't believe you came back!"

"Of course. I couldn't leave you like this," Ava replied with a warm smile. Charon came to a stop behind Ava and the girl's mouth fell open at the sight of him.

"Who…what…is this?" Amata asked, taking a step back.

"This is my friend, Charon. He saved me a while ago and we've been together ever since," Ava explained.

"But...what's wrong with him?" Amata asked. "Why does he look-"

"Like a walking corpse?" Charon spat through gritted teeth. The entire room was staring at him, and he wished he could just turn around and leave, but he refused to leave his Smoothskin behind in this place.

"Charon, stop that. You know I don't think of you like that, so why does it matter what everyone else thinks?" Ava said.

He nodded, knowing she was right. It didn't matter what others thought of him...but it still pricked at him like a thorn in his side.

Ava turned back to Amata and she explained, "Nothing's wrong with him, really. He's a ghoul, suffered from severe radiation poisoning and lived…it's complicated. Anyway, I came as soon as I got the message."

"Thank you, everything's gone crazy since you left! Actually, crazy doesn't even begin to describe it. We found out that the vault was opened before and we were lied to! I heard Wally's father say we should never have taken you and your dad in. My father won't even allow us to make our own decisions. Not everyone wants to leave forever, but my father wants to keep everyone here! You have to stop him!" explained Amata. She looked defeated and Ava hugged her once again.

"I'll stop him. This should be a group decision, not just your father's."

"Just please, don't be rash, Ava. I know how you are," said Amata.

"What the fuck? Are you insane? Your own father tried to fucking kill you Amata!" Ava shouted. "I saw the pair of you when I was making a run for it that day! He hurt you!"

"He's still my father," said Amata quietly.

"Still doesn't give him the right to torture you to see if you'd give me up. We'll see what happens when I talk to him," said Ava, "but I'm not making any promises...like you said, you know how I am."

The former Vault Girl smiled before walking back up the steps towards the Overseer's office, Charon following close behind her. He had no idea what would come of all this, but he had her back, no matter what.

* * *

Ava knocked lightly on the office door and it opened. The Overseer glowered when she and Charon walked in. The little rat has returned...along with a much bigger rat by her side.

"Ah, you've returned. Are the ruins of the Wasteland too much for you? Do you really think you can slink back in like a teen who missed curfew? You have no future here, filth like you. You are tainted...a blight that we were all glad to be rid of," said the Overseer.

Charon began to step forward with his shotgun raised. No one would talk to his Smoothskin like that and live. Ava held him back and shot him a firm look. She really needed to stop doing that. If he had it his way, he would kill anyone that even looked at her wrongly.

"And you brought in this obviously violent and unstable monster into the vault as well? Well done, Ava. Well done," said the Overseer. "I am not surprised that you would makes friends with beasts. Why my daughter wanted anything to do with you is simply beyond me."

"You think that I'm tainted? Me? You're the crazy bastard who murdered Jonas! You're the monster here, not me or my friend!" she said.

"Jonas and your father were endangering the lives of everyone in the vault. I wish I didn't have to do the things I did. It had to be done. Jonas was going to leave with your father. If he left, others would have left as well," he said as he looked out the window. "I couldn't have that. My duty is to protect this vault."

"You're destroying the vault by keeping everyone here, can't you see that? They will all perish unless you allow trade and contact from the outside," said Charon. "You are an utter fool to think otherwise, and not much for a leader...if you are willing to harm your own child for your benefit."

The Overseer looked at the ghoul with surprise and Ava beamed.

"What do you know about being a father?" the Overseer sneered.

"I know that even I would make a better father to any child than you would," Charon said. Ava pat his arm and grinned. Her ghoul always made her proud.

"My flock would be throwing their lives away if they left. They will end up dead or even worse...like you," said the Overseer to Charon.

"Better to be a ghoul like myself than a prisoner in a place that has no future," Charon growled.

Ava gritted her teeth; the Overseer had gone too far with his insults. Never again, would he get away with the shit he's done.

"I think I have a solution," began Ava with a glance at the gun she held.

"Oh really? Humor me," replied the Overseer.

"I still owe you for Jonas...Charon?" called Ava. The ghoul looked over at her and found himself drowning in her eyes once more. There was a new fire behind them, one that threatened to burn out of control and destroy everything in their sight.

"Does the overseer come off as an evil bastard to you?" said Ava. Charon gave her a deadly smile. Oh, he _really _liked her now, more than ever.

"Yes, he does, Smoothskin."

She walked up to Charon and rested her head on his arm. Looking up at him with her bright green eyes, she asked, "And what do we do with evil bastards?"

Her voice was almost a purr. He would listen to it forever if she'd let him.

"I...and now we, rid the world of them, Ava."

Charon aimed for the Overseer's head with the most menacing smile Ava had ever seen. She forced the Overseer to his knees and Charon stepped forward, the end of his gun less than an inch away from the Overseer's forehead.

"I expected nothing less from you," said the Overseer to Ava before the ghoul pulled the trigger, covering both him and Ava in a splattering of blood and brain matter. Charon looked over at his partner expecting to see victory on her face but instead, he saw sorrow.

"Let's get back to Amata," said Ava quietly.

The pair walked back to Amata and the other rebels of the vault. Butch leaned against a wall, picking his teeth with a switchblade and he turned away with a huff. Ava explained what had occurred in the office, sparing all of the gory details, but Amata could not take her eyes off the blood on Ava's leather armor.

"So, I guess you're the new Overseer, Amata. You'll do fine," Ava said.

"I'm sure you did everything you could. I'll try my best to be a better Overseer than my father. That's what makes this so hard, Ava. You saved us...that doesn't change the fact that you killed the Overseer in cold blood. I can't let that stand. I'm sorry. You're a hero…and you, you have to leave," said Amata.

Ava's face drained of color and her bottom lip quivered.

"Ava?" Charon asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Ava pushed past the ghoul and ran away with her face in her hands. As she ran out of the vault, she heard Officer Taylor shout "Good riddance!" She couldn't take it anymore. She never wanted to see the vault ever again.

Charon stared down the empty corridor and turned his gaze back to Amata and the rebels. They were all cold, worthless...nothing.

"If I were you, I'd be ashamed of myself. She didn't have to come back to help you. Just remember, where you'd be if she didn't," Charon said to Amata.

"I had to do this!" Amata shouted.

"No, you did not," he snarled. "And just so you know...it was I who killed your father...not Ava."

With Amata bursting into tears, Charon retraced his steps back out the Vault door, glad to get away from the hateful bigots that lived there, and heard it slam closed behind him. Fuck that place and everyone in it.

It was now dark outside, and stars peppered the night sky. Charon saw Ava sitting on the ground beside a 'scenic overlook' sign, her knees tucked beneath her chin. He punched the sign, knocking it down the hill and sat on the ground beside her. Ava's face was pressed into her hands and her shoulders shook as she wept quietly. Charon hesitated for a few moments before putting his arm around her. He wasn't quite sure what to do. He was always at a loss when it came to Ava.

"The road I walk is so god damn lonely, but it's all I've ever known since I was younger. I don't even know where it goes...but it's just me, and I've always walked alone," she said.

"It does not have to be that way any more," Charon told her.

"Nobody wants me," she whispered. She wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve and sniffed loudly. "Sometimes...sometimes I wish someone would find me, and walk by my side through all this shit. It's so hard, and I can't blame anyone for not coming with me. It's just me and my shadow until someone comes. Until then, I'm alone."

"That is not true, I…I…" Charon began. "I will gladly walk with you, to hell and back. Until my dying breath, Smoothskin. You can count on me to be by your side, and when I am not enough...you also have Gob and Nova."

What little he said did bring a smile to Ava's face and that was good enough for him. They sat together until Ava fell asleep and Charon carefully picked her up and carried her back to Megaton, her head pressed against his heart, right where she belonged.


	9. An Epiphany

Ava groaned as the sunlight peeked through the cracks in the old saloon. Last night was ranked as one of her top five worst evenings ever to occur to her. What sort of best friend kicked you out of your old home moments after you save them from utter destruction?

_The kind you didn't need any more,_ thought Ava. _Fuck them. I have Charon, Gob and Nova. I don't need anyone else._

She was wrapped tightly in the thin blanket, yet she did not remember coming into bed back at Gob's. Sitting up, she saw Charon, her ghoul, sitting at the small table near her bed. He rested his head on the table top itself and his deep, rattling breaths let her know he was deep asleep. Ava's guns and shoes were laid neatly by the door and she smiled warmly to herself. The rest of the evening came back to her. Sitting outside the vault. Charon sitting beside her. Crying. A powerful arm around her shoulders. And then sleep. There had to be some remnant of a heart left inside Charon if he cared enough to bring her back to Gob's and tuck her into bed. Something was in there, she was sure of it. The bed was comfortable for wasteland standards, but she couldn't lie around all day. She glanced at her pip-boy for the time and gasped. It was already almost four in the afternoon. The whole day had been wasted and her mood soured once again. Ava stood up and quietly pulled her shoes on. She gave Charon one more look before walking out the door. He looked so peaceful. Leaning over, she very lightly planted a kiss on the back of his head.

"Thanks for everything sleeping beauty. See you downstairs," she whispered before closing the door behind her.

* * *

Charon's eyes flashed open before the door had even closed. He rubbed the back of his head, over the very spot that he felt Ava touch. It tingled with a sort of…pleasure? Was it pleasure? He wasn't sure. He picked up most of their weapons and strapped them to his back. With two sniper rifles, two combat shotguns, two Chinese assault rifles, Ava's favorite .44 Magnum and Charon's combat knife, he looked like a walking armory.

Downstairs, Charon took his seat next to Ava. Nova and Gob snickered at the sight of Charon carrying so many weapons. The larger ghoul growled in their direction, quieting them.

"You look like a man on a mission," commented Ava.

"Half of these are yours. You're a big girl, and I am not your pack mule. Carry them," said Charon gruffly. Ava gladly took her weapons, feeling quite naked without them.

"We're going to the Citadel. I think I'm ready to look for that G.E.C.K. I told you guys about. I promise I'll be back to visit soon, okay?" said Ava as both Nova and Gob came over and hugged her goodbye.

"Take care of her!" Gob said to Charon's back.

"Always," he grunted.

Nova looked up at Gob the moment Ava and Charon stepped out the door. "You think he cares for her? I agree with Ava, he just gets annoyed with everyone."

"You girls must be blind. Charon's got it bad; as bad as I have ever seen it," said Gob.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set, and they had just arrived at the Citadel's gate. There, Ava heard the Brotherhood of Steel knights talking about a ferry just down the way.

"Yeah, that ferry came Point Lookout. The bombs never fell there. It's…a weird place," said one of the knights.

"You said the ferry is down the shoreline?" asked Ava. The knight nodded and continued his conversation with his squad mates. Ava tipped her head in the ferry's direction and asked the ghoul, "Wanna check it out?"

"Why not? The Brotherhood won't be eager to let me inside the Citadel anyway, might as well put it off," said Charon.

A worried looking woman practically ran up to Ava when they arrived at the dock, completely ignoring the large ghoul beside her, and grasped Ava's hand.

"You! Are you going to Point Lookout?" asked the ragged, older woman. "I'm Catherine. My daughter, Nadine, stowed away on the Duchess Gambit a few weeks ago and I haven't heard from her since! Could you look for her? I'll do anything!" Ava choked up. The woman had her mother's name. Charon let out a sigh. He forgot at times that Ava was "the heroine of the wastes" and that everyone expected some sort of help from her. Maybe if Ava didn't have such a soft spot for the weak, they could be left alone.

"I can't promise anything, but I'll do my best to find her ma'am," said Ava.

"That Tobar fellow said he dropped her off at Point Lookout but hasn't seen her since. If you find her, please give her this note and ask her to come back with you," pleaded Catherine. The woman shoved a worn piece of paper into Ava's hands and she tucked it safely into her pocket.

"What can you tell me about Nadine?" Ava asked.

"She's about your age but with bright orange hair. She told me she wanted to find fame and fortune but I forbade it. I should have known better," said Catherine with a frown. Ava patted the woman's shoulder and smiled.

"You did nothing wrong. You care for her is all. I'll be back as soon as I can," said Ava.

"Thank you so much Miss. Please, stay safe!"

Ava and Charon walked down the dilapidated dock and a man strolled out of a room on the ferry and greeted them with open arms. He wore a tattered coat and an old army hat.

"Hello there! I'm Tobar the ferryman and this beautiful vessel is the Duchess Gambit! I'm heading back to Point Lookout, interested in coming?" asked Tobar.

"Dad taught me not to accept rides from strangers," said Ava.

"Aha, but he's not here and I'm not a stranger because just told you my name," Tobar replied with a grin.

"He thinks he's clever," said Charon so that only Ava could hear. "How…quaint."

"How much to get to Point Lookout?" she asked as she boarded the ferry.

"300 caps. You can pay me when we get there, but your dog here is gonna have to stay behind. The swamp folk don't take kindly to his type," said Tobar, holding up a hand to prevent Charon from stepping any further. A growl rumbled deep inside Charon's chest, but he kept quiet. Ava turned to him with mild panic in her eyes. Going somewhere without Charon felt…wrong.

"You'll be fine. I shall be here when you return," said Charon. The thought of leaving Ava was making him nervous. Point Lookout was far away. If anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself. Charon looked down at her and saw her watery, green eyes. It was almost enough to make him crumble.

"I'll get this done really fast, I promise," said Ava in a shaky voice. Charon patted her upper arm roughly before she walked back onto the ferry. Tobar walked up the steps and sounded the horn, letting the wasteland know of his departure. Ava stood at the stern, gripping the railing for dear life and never taking her eyes off Charon. As the ferry slowly began to move, she waved with a sad, faraway smile and blew the ghoul a kiss.

Charon felt his heart lodge in his throat for the hundredth time since partnering up with his Smoothskin and his mind began to go a million miles an hour. Should he stay? Should he go? If he went after her, his weapons would be soaked. He could always clean them out; it wouldn't be much trouble. Could he swim fast enough to catch up to the ferry? Of course he could; it was a fucking ferry, not a speedboat. What if Tobar found out? Fuck Tobar, that simple-minded fool. Did Ava want him to follow? Did he want to follow her? Hell yes he did; he would follow his Smoothskin to the ends of the Earth and back if he had to and it was then that he dove head first into the water.

Ava's angled jaw dropped. She had watched Charon's face with interest as it quickly contorted from a grim expression, to confusion, and finally to a strange sort of happiness and satisfaction. He leapt into the water. He was coming after her, Tobar be damned. She looked over the side of the ferry and Charon had already caught up and was clambering onto the deck as quietly as he could.

"The things I do for you, Ava," muttered Charon. Ava wrapped her arms tightly around Charon's waist. He froze in silent shock as Ava pressed her body against his. She was small and warm. Ava gently took his hands and guided them to the small of her back before wrapping her arms around him once again.

"On a scale of one through ten, how uncomfortable am I making you?" she whispered, hoping Tobar could not hear.

"…Six," Charon answered. He grinned stupidly, grateful that she could not see and rested his chin on her head. She didn't seem to mind that he was soaking wet. This, he didn't really know what "this" was anymore, but it was right.

"The sun and the sky kind of look like fire, don't they? It's beautiful," she said quietly.

"I have seen something far more…beautiful. Everything else pales in comparison. I believe it has ruined me," he said. Ava smiled and thought back to the very first day they had ever met. She had wanted to send him away so quickly but now life without Charon looked bleak and meaningless. She couldn't ask for a better man to have by her side.

"My father would have liked you," Ava said suddenly.

"Is that so? He wouldn't mind his only daughter, who is not even twenty, cavorting about the Capital Wasteland with a beer in one hand, a gun in the other, and a slightly crazed, blood-thirsty ghoul by her side?" asked Charon, suppressing a smirk.

"Maybe not with a beer in my hand. Everything else, he'd be okay with I think. I…I miss him so much. Why did he tell me to run? I feel like I left him to die back there," said Ava.

"From what you've told me back at the Arlington House, there was nothing you could have done. If you stayed, his death would have been for naught." Charon's stomach rumbled loudly and Ava choked out a laugh.

"I'll go buy us some food off that moron. Wait in the cabin, I don't want Tobar to turn the ferry around," said Ava. Charon freed Ava from his arms and walked into the small cabin. There was a cot in one corner, large enough for Ava but definitely not him, a toilet opposite the bed and a small, yellowed sofa that he also would not fit on. Damn his height. The only comfortable bed he'd ever slept in was Ava's bizarre heart-shaped bed at Tenpenny Tower. He hoped Ava would hurry. He had not eaten all day.

Ava walked up the steps to where Tobar stood. He looked over at her and gave her a toothy grin.

"What can I do ya for, ma'am?" asked Tobar.

_There he goes, trying to be clever. Charon would knock his ass out so fast, _ thought Ava.

"I need food. Lots of it."

Tobar pulled a carton of food from underneath the ferry's steering wheel and Ava picked out an assortment of food, including Fancy Lad Snack Cakes, Dandy Boy apples and iguana bits. She paid Tobar his caps and gathered most of the food under one arm.

"So, uh, wanna eat dinner in my cabin with me? I haven't had such lovely company since that Nadine girl," Tobar said as he dragged a long, dirty finger down Ava's arm. She reached for her .44 Magnum and used the end of the barrel to scratch underneath her chin. Tobar backed off almost immediately.

"I like being alone when I eat," she grunted. Ava rushed down the steps, disgusted that another man had laid a hand on her and walked into her cabin.

"What the hell took so long? I'm starving!" said Charon, stepping out from behind the door. Ava tossed him a couple of boxes over her shoulder and he caught them without effort.

"Tobar was trying to get me to go to his cabin for 'dinner.' Dinner my ass," said Ava as she sat on the floor near the cot. Charon had taken a seat on the cot, leaning against the wall and resting his feet on the cot's edge.

"What?!" Charon snapped. Ava looked up at him from the floor with a mouthful of snack cakes.

"Don't get jealous, I obviously said no," she said with a smirk.

"I am _not_ jealous. I am protective of what I consider mi…you know, if I wasn't the way I am, people might succeed in killing or taking advantage of you," he spat before devouring his food.

"Key word there is 'might.' Either way, it's sweet. How'd you turn out to be such a sweetie pie, Charon?" Ava asked, clasping her hands together and giving the ghoul a mocking sort of smile.

"My mother rolled me in sugar and the slavers could not resist," he answered, the sarcasm dripping from his mouth. Ava almost choked on her last snack cake at his remark.

Finished with her meal, Ava began repairing her sniper rifle using parts from the spare they had found some time ago. Charon watched her intently, glad that she had picked up one of his better habits since they met. Ava lifted the rifle to her shoulder and adjusted the scope to her liking. He swiftly realized how strangely she held the rifle.

"No wonder you are always injuring your shoulder. You are holding it incorrectly. Come," he said and patted the space between his legs. Ava jumped up and sat between his knees, leaning against his chest. The act felt strangely intimate and almost every fiber of his being was screaming for him to push her away, yet he could not. Instead, Charon wrapped his arms around her and showed her how to hold the rifle properly by placing the butt of the gun just above her armpit and not against her actual shoulder. He rested his chin on her shoulder for a few seconds and adjusted the scope. Ava smiled as she felt his breath on her neck.

"How does this feel?" Charon asked. He was no longer talking about the rifle, he noticed, and waited for her answer.

Ava was not sure if Charon meant the rifle or how they were sitting but either way, her answer was the same. "Perfection. Nothing feels better."

She leaned into his chest further and said, "I'm not gonna lie. You make a good pillow. I'm sleeping here. That couch looked gross anyway. On a scale of one through ten, how nervous am I making you?" she asked with sly grin.

He looked down at her in disbelief. This was…flirtation. He was sure of it. "Seven. Seven out of ten, but you can stay. Just don't drool all over my arms, Smoothskin."

"I think I should be worried about you drooling on my head. I'll get rad poisoning," she teased.

"Fuck you, Ava," he said with a laugh. Ava loved hearing it. It made her smile more than anything else. If she could make the meanest ghoul in the wastes crack a smile and laugh at her stupid jokes, then surely she could find a lost girl in the swamps. Maybe even find the G.E.C.K.


	10. That Limey Bastard

The Duchess Gambit pulled into Point Lookout early the next morning. Tobar walked out of his cabin and breathed in the salty, ocean air. Sure, it had a hint of radiation to it, but it still smelled like home. The ferry man eyed the rickety, wooden door across from him. That girl was in there, sound asleep. She owed him 300 caps for this trip, but he preferred if she used other methods of payment…

Tobar opened the door as quietly as he could and let his eyes adjust to the slight darkness in the room. The girl was asleep all right but she wasn't alone. A ghoul sat behind her with his arms tenderly around her waist. The same ghoul he forbade from coming aboard with her. Yet, there he was with his rotting face buried in the crook of her neck. She looked serene leaning against the freak and Tobar was disgusted. This was his boat. He made the rules.

Tobar reached for his gun when the ghoul stirred. Charon stood quite suddenly and Ava tumbled from his lap onto the cot, not fully awake. Charon began to tense up and he unleashed a horrific, feral snarl that sent shivers down Ava's spine.

"What the fuck are you doing in my room?" asked Ava, glaring at Tobar. Charon did not wait for an explanation and lunged forward, almost tearing the ferry man's arm from its socket. Ava grabbed Charon's arm, holding him back just long enough for Tobar to barricade himself into his cabin. Charon continued his snarls and lashed at the door.

"Charon, stop!" Ava cried. She knew he wouldn't lay a hand on her, so she pushed herself between him and the door.

"Hey, hey. It's all right. That fucker didn't hurt me. I was with you," she said in a soothing voice as she cupped the side of his face. Charon reluctantly stopped himself from tearing down the door to Tobar's cabin and instead concentrated on Ava's face.

"Don't turn feral on me, okay? I need you," she said quietly. The ghoul nodded. Ava calmly gathered their things and handed Charon his respective weapons. Walking out onto the dock, warped from years of waves crashing against it (or perhaps ferries), Ava was amazed to see things she had only seen pictures of in books.

"Is that a, damn it what is called…something wheel?" said Ava to herself.

Charon forgot some times that Ava had come from a vault. She could be so deadly with a weapon, so cunning and fearless, yet she had never seen even a quarter of what he had in his lifetime. Not even something as normal as a ferris wheel.

"Ferris wheel. You sit in those baskets and the wheel turns, allowing for a view of the area," Charon explained. He looked past Ava and pointed to a large mansion by the cliffs. Smoke seeped from the mansion and into the cloudy morning sky.

"Come on, we should check it out. The girl might be there," said Charon.

Ava was pleased with Charon's sudden urge to lead, and she followed him past the rotting boardwalk and through the murky swamps. Pools of muck bubbled with methane gas. A bubble popped near Ava and singed her armor. Charon pulled her away before she could be injured further.

"We're a long way from home. Treat everything here as a threat," said Charon. He heard a noise in the distance and looked up with his finger ready on the trigger of his gun. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah. Sounded like laughter, didn't it?" she answered.

Yards ahead of them, a head popped out of the tall marsh grass. It was a man, or at least some semblance of one. He brandished a rusty axe over his shoulder and laughed once more. Charon pushed Ava behind him and took aim.

"I'm not entirely helpless you know. Pretty sure I was doing fine before I met you," she complained. Ava pouted, sticking out her full bottom lip out slightly and added a whimpering noise to boot. Charon stared at her mouth for a few seconds before returning his attention to the man who was now running towards them, swinging his axe.

"Would you quit your bitching? I'm trying to aim here. As I recall, I am in the lead regarding our game. I would like to keep it so. And stop pouting like that! It's distracting," he muttered. Two shots were fired and the man was down in the grass once again.

"You know, you're an asshole. Why the hell do I keep you around?" said Ava with a joking grin.

"It's obvious, Smoothskin. I am the better shot."

Ava groaned and looped her arm through his. "Not this again!"

As they continued their walk towards the mansion, Charon looked down at Ava out of the corner of his eye. He noticed that walked closer to him than usual, so close that the hilt of his combat knife dug into his side because she was pressed against him.

_Something is going on here. A woman as gorgeous as Ava should NOT be this close to me all the time,_ thought Charon.

"What do you think we'll find in there?" asked Ava as they stepped over the body of the man Charon had picked off. He was grotesquely deformed, with a large head and a protruding pot-belly.

"Probably more inbreds like the one I just killed. Be careful," he cautioned.

It wasn't long before they reached the mansion overlooking the sea and lighthouse. It must have been an impressive home back in its heyday but it now stood dilapidated and rotted.

"We should storm this place and keep it as a summer house," said Ava.

"Too fancy for my tastes. Tenpenny Tower is over indulgent enough. You know us ghouls, we like the dark and dank to make our homes in," Charon said. Ava really did enjoy his sarcasm. He was almost charming at times.

"I guess I'll have to learn to like the dark then if we stay together," she answered casually. Ava walked into the courtyard of the home while Charon scanned the area for any threats to them. There seemed to be a mob headed in their direction. They had to get inside the house, and quickly.

"You!" shouted a voice. "You two aren't Tribals! Get in here and help me fight these bastards off!" That voice…Charon had heard it before. It was almost as if hearing it turned on a switch inside him. Images quickly flashed through his head. Charon as a poor child. The slavers. A scientist looking down at him with pity in his eyes. The same scientist walk into the Ninth Circle, shaking hands with Azrukhal. Ava grabbed Charon's arm and yanked him into the mansion and out of his thoughts. She wasn't sure who the Tribals were, but they sounded like a threat and the mansion was now a place of safety, even if only for a few minutes.

Inside the mansion, turrets had attacked and killed two painted men holding double-barreled shotguns. Ava and Charon cautiously walked into the foyer. Charon stopped dead in his tracks as he caught sight of the man, or rather ghoul, who had called them inside. Two mangy dogs stood on either side of him.

"Desmond Lockheart?" asked Charon carefully. Ava looked at the ghouls with surprise, Charon in particular. The look on his face confirmed that he wasn't expecting to ever see this other ghoul ever again. Charon looked absolutely livid, to the point that Ava was convinced he would go feral at any given moment.

"Who the fuck wants to know- shit, Charon!" growled Desmond. The two ghouls immediately raised their guns and within seconds, were engaged in a stand-off.

"Ava! Go hide, now!" barked Charon. Ava refused and stayed by his side, glaring at Desmond. If Charon had a problem with someone, she would make it hers as well.

"Charon, I know you want nothing more than to kill me right now, but this place will be overrun within a few minutes. If you want this Ava here to live another day, I suggest we put aside our differences and kill these fuckers," Desmond said quickly. Charon nodded and lowered his gun while Desmond did the same.

"Come on, I think they're just outside the next room," said Desmond.

The ghoul named Desmond pulled open the doors and his dogs began to growl loudly. A group of painted humans Ava assumed to be Tribals broke through a wall across from them and began to shoot. Desmond's dogs jumped forward and began tearing into the closest enemy they could. Charon was the first to step into the room and finish off anyone who was still standing. He looked back as the dust settled, making sure that Ava was not injured. Desmond marched into the room and kicked open the next set of doors leading into a large, formal dining room. The sound of wood being crushed inwardly was heard from upstairs and Desmond hissed in anger.

"They're coming from upstairs! Go up there and block off where they're coming in from. I'll keep watch down here," ordered Desmond.

Charon and Ava rushed up the rotting, wooden steps two at a time up to the second floor of the house. At the top of the staircase, a Tribal broke through a door on the left, slamming into Ava. Charon grabbed the back of her armor, yanked her by his side, and shot the man twice. Ava ran ahead through a nursery while Charon finished off another Tribal that had appeared. She saw a rope dangling from the ceiling and she tossed a grenade towards a gas tank that stood behind it. The explosion shook the house violently.

Charon found an intercom on the wall and slammed his fist on the button. "West Wing is secure. What else?" Charon said angrily.

"The East wing is being breached. Hurry the fuck up! I don't feel like dying today, I have shit to do!" shouted Desmond. Charon kicked open a door and it opened into the foyer. Ava was breathing heavily as she tried to keep up with her ghoul. He had never-ending stamina, it seemed. Desmond pointed to a door as another group of Tribals came storming towards them. They were quickly disposed of. Ava and Charon walked through the door with their guns raised. Part of the hallway was blocked off by a pile of desks so Ava went down the opposite hallway instead. There was a loud creaking noise and the antique floor gave away beneath Ava's feet. Charon leapt forward to grab her hand but just barely brushed the tips of her fingers as she fell.

"AVA!" screamed Charon as he looked down into the hole. He saw Ava sit up slowly and cough as the dust cleared the air. She had fallen through the first and second levels of the house and crashed into the basement. At least she did not appear to be hurt too badly. "I am coming down!"

Ava saw that she had fallen all the way down to the basement. Strange mannequins surrounded her, completely nude, and with blank, unseeing eyes. A loud bang on the door caused her to ready her rifle. The door burst from its hinges and Ava fired seven rounds into a Tribal's chest. She picked up his shotgun and strapped it to her back as she made her way through the kitchen. The body of a Tribal was thrown into the kitchen, knocking over several pots and pans. Ava aimed at the doorway but it was only Charon. She jumped over the counter and leapt straight into his arms. She could feel his heart beating through his chest and she savored its beats.

"I almost shot you!" she said. Charon gave her a squeeze before letting her feet hit the floor.

"Please, you could not shoot your way out of a paper bag," he said with a smirk that Ava caused her own heart to miss a few beats. They went back up the stairs, found the source of the Tribals in the East Wing and tossed a grenade towards the source of the gas. Just as the grenade left Ava's hands, Charon noticed the gas had reached them. The fire from the blast would engulf them both. Charon shoved Ava through the door and slammed it shut behind him, the wood burning his back and hands from the blast. She wordlessly placed a hand on his chest in thanks. They rushed back to the foyer and Desmond met them at the top of the steps.

"We're about to get hit hard. Charon let them funnel through the front and side doors; kill every fucker that walks in. You have his back, Smoothskin?" asked Desmond.

"I always do," she answered. There was a fierce gleam in her eyes that Charon had never seen before. It was lovely, he decided. It suited her just fine.

"Good. I'll snipe them from up here; the dogs can handle any stragglers." The Tribals attacked from all sides at once it seemed. Ava glanced over at Charon and he seemed absolutely determined to kill them all. He was the most frightening human being when he was in kill mode. Nothing else mattered to him, it seemed, unless it involved her. Charon saved most of his aggression for any foe attacking Ava. The front door came crashing down and Ava pulled Charon back.

"Mini-gun!" she shouted in his ear. The ghoul looked up and saw the Tribal's head get knocked back by a single shot. Desmond had gotten the shot, and the fight was over. Bodies littered the foyer and Charon grinned at Ava. It made her heart jump again. He, Charon, was really doing this to her. She couldn't fucking believe it. She was a sucker for a ghoul, a ghoul that had some serious anger issues but protected her without any regard for his own life.

"Kind of reminds me of the messes we make back at home," he said. "There is no better or deadlier team than us." Ava smiled but immediately frowned when Charon's face grew dark the moment Desmond walked down the steps. She was worried about the tension between the two ghouls. Charon already had his gun ready in his hands.

"So, my heroes huh? Think you came in and rescued me just in the nick of time? Hmpf. Hardly. Had it all well in hand. Didn't even have to use the failsafe. That would have fucked up the paintings though, so just as well that you two are here. This asshole here already knows me, but you don't. The name's Desmond," said the ghoul as he extended a hand to Ava. She did not take it and stood closer to her ghoul instead.

"You always were an ungrateful little shit," said Charon.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure we just saved your life," Ava added.

"No, but you helped me out and that's something. Tell ya what. I'll share some tips on making the final stand," said Desmond.

"I bet it's nothing I can show her. You don't impress me. Never did," said Charon with a scoff.

"I didn't ask your opinion, fuck face. I'm talking to your **Mistress**!" snapped Desmond. "Anyways, I think I can give you some work dealing with these Tribals." Charon seethed, gritting his teeth so hard his jaw ached.

"I'm not his Mistress. I freed him the second I bought his contract, so I'd watch how you talk to him if I were you. What do you want us to do? This better pay good," she said.

"Just you, gorgeous. Not Charon. Pay attention when I speak. Those mud-lovers want me dead, and they haven't extended the common fucking courtesy of telling me why. They fear ghouls, which is why Charon can't follow you. Infiltrate their commune inside the Ark and Dove cathedral and dig up the dirt about me. Be a good little girl, and 'Ol Desmond will give you a treat. No need for violence…yet."

"Get to the reward," said Ava impatiently. She didn't like the way Desmond had worded it and the way he was staring at her didn't exactly help either. Charon was holding his shotgun so tightly, Ava thought he might crush it.

"The only reliable currency in the world: information. You provide me with valuable information from the Tribals and I will pay in kind. Unless you had something else in mind…" said Desmond.

"Unless it is caps, she doesn't want anything else," said Charon.

Desmond looked at Charon with surprise. "You speak for her? How bold…for a slave."

"He can speak for me if he wishes, just like I can speak for him. You don't have to be an asshole and I don't have to fucking help you," said Ava. "Before I even think about this, I need to know if you've seen a girl named Nadine. My age, crazy orange hair."

"I've been around a long god damn time. The last time I knew a bird named Nadine, I still had skin. There was a girl nosing about here a few weeks ago but she ran before I could…introduce myself."

"Give me a second then." Ava pulled Charon aside and quietly asked, "What the hell is your beef with him anyway? I don't want to come back and found out that you've killed each other. I can't exactly function in life without you now. You've ruined my damn life," she said before flashing a smile.

"This is no time for jokes. Why must you aide every single person who asks it of you?" Charon asked sullenly.

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle," she stated.

Charon stared at her, stunned. "Plato, Ava? Really?"

"I never took you to know anything about philosophy," said Ava. Charon shrugged and muttered something about him being old and reading.

"Look, I give you my word that I will tell you my history with him when time allows. Go ahead and do this for Desmond. It will buy me time to get information from him, if you are all right with it," explained Charon. Ava nodded and looked back at Desmond, who was petting one of his dogs.

"Why should I work for you?" asked Ava.

"What's the difference between you and I kid? What makes a gifted killer like yourself into a rock-hard bastard like Charon and myself? The answer is **TRAINING YOU IGNORANT FUCK!** I've got a hundred years of experience on you, and don't you forget it!" shouted Desmond.

Charon let another vicious snarl escape his throat. "Do not fucking talk to her like that!"

"It's okay. He's just pissed because he has to send a pretty little girl like me to do his dirty work. Pathetic. I'll be back in a few hours. Behave. _Both_ of you," said Ava. She gave Charon a quick hug and turned on her heel, walking out the ruined front door and leaving two angry men behind her.

"So," began Desmond, "If you're done staring at the Smoothskin's ass, I have some good fuckin' whiskey in the cabinet over here. I'm feeling generous today, if you haven't noticed."


	11. Walking With Spirits

**This is one of my FAVORITE missions in the whole game. Tripping on some plant you find in a swamp? Yes, please. I hope you all are enjoying this story. I know it doesn't follow the game exactly, but if we all followed the game to a T, we'd be writing the same crap over and over again (plus, I was pissed you couldn't take followers with you in the DLCs). Thanks much to XxCheshireGrinxX and Nem (Desmond is hilarious!) for your constant reviews and thanks to everyone else who pokes in to see what's up. Really people, no need to make me blush!**

* * *

Ava trudged through the muck and tall grass towards the cathedral. She had no clue, not even an inkling of an idea, how to convince the Tribals to tell her anything about Desmond or their attacks.

_Dad always said I was a silver-tongued devil, _Ava thought with a grin. She could bullshit her way through this.

Point Lookout was eerie at night, to say the least. She quietly made her way to the cathedral in one piece, without being attacked at all. There was something about the cover of darkness that kept the swamp folk from coming out. The cathedral was gated and surrounded by high, brick walls. There was no way Ava could scale them on her on.

_If Charon was here, I could have just stood on his shoulders and been able to climb over,_ she thought. Being without her ghoul made her feel uneasy, like someone was watching her just out of sight. Ava noticed an intercom by the gates and pressed the button.

"I hope I don't get shot," she mumbled to herself.

"Who lingers at the threshold of transcendence?" asked a male voice.

Ava bit her lip in an effort to contain her laughter. Post apocolyptia sure brought out the crazy religious fanatics like no other. These Tribals gave the Church of Atom a run for their money, that's for sure. Responding as a normal person wouldn't be enough to let her in. Ava had to make this good. She had to make this some of the best shit ever to spew from her mouth.

"I seek the wisdom of your glorious people. May I join your tribe?" she asked.

"What's this? A humble traveler, seeking the guidance of our awakened minds? Truly, this is a glorious day! You are from far away, and must have been strong to have traveled this far. But strength is nothing without guidance of the mind. If you seek entry, you must be prepared to expand your consciousness. You must prove yourself worthy to transcend!" said the voice.

"I have no fear in me. I will take your test, and I shall be victorious!" said Ava.

"You may not be so brave when you face the ritual of the Mother Seed. Stronger souls than you have attempted it and lost their minds."

"My soul is stronger than any you have encountered. This, I guarantee," she said.

"Venture west, to the great bog and within you shall find the mother of all punga fruit. She stands taller than a man, and her vines guide our future. Collect her seeds and kneel before her wisdom. Only then will you be ready to enter these sacred halls," said the voice.

Ava looked west and frowned. Before leaving, she scanned the area with her sniper rifle, just to get a heads up of any enemies she might bump into. There, by a cluster of trees, huddled three feral ghouls. Ava reached into her back pocket and pulled out her ghoul mask that Roy Phillips had given her as a gift. She didn't wear it around Charon; he was good enough protection without her needing the mask. Now she was alone, and she didn't wish to waste any ammo on those mindless bags of flesh. With a loud sigh, she pulled the mask over her head and began her journey west, towards the bog.

* * *

"God damn, you're ugly!" screamed Ava as she shot a huge, deformed man in both knees, sending him hurtling into the ground. She placed a foot on the side of his head and before he could reach up to grab her, she pulled the trigger and sent a bullet into his brain. Ava could see the entrance to the bog just ahead of her. Swamp folk had been chasing her for at least a mile and she quickly learned that swamp folk could easily overwhelm her. It was better to pick them off from a distance. A shotgun blast had grazed her bicep and she had to waste four stimpaks on the injury. It would not happen again.

The door to the bog was wrapped with chains, and a crudely drawn punga fruit was scratched into the door. Ava didn't bother putting away her assault rifle. She walked through a short, but damp, underground passage that led her to another door and finally, into the bog. It seemed deserted until Ava was knocked over. Looking over her shoulder, she saw a mirelurk hunter standing above her. She dodged to the side as it attempted to impale her on its claw, and grabbed her rifle.

_The face, Charon said the face is vulnerable!_

Ava aimed for the mirelurk hunter's face and unleashed hell. Other mirelurks were attracted to the commotion of Ava's shots and splashing about in the water, and they were all gunned down. She hiked through the bog and walked up a slope, killing all the mirelurks that stood in her way. Every so often she would see a couple of dolls on a stake or hanging from the trees by their necks, staring at her with beady, soulless eyes. The bog was easy enough to navigate through, but it also made it easier for the mirelurks to see her.

At last, she came to the end of the bog and the only way she could continue was down the small path that led her out of the knee-high water. Ava saw a colossal punga fruit plant at the end of the path. Thick, green vines hung from the center of the large flower, with tiny white seeds peppering the vine itself. She took a handful of the seeds and the plant released a gas, knocking her to her feet. She coughed until she was gasping and stared back down the path.

The world was blue.

Ava walked into the bog water and saw a small vault-tec bobble head on a raised piece of land. She picked it up and examined it. Why was this in the middle of a bog? She read the inscription on the base:

_Tsk Tsk. Walked right into another trap. Exactly how stupid are you?_

Ava dropped it and it disappeared into the ground. What the hell was going on? Bobble heads did not come with personalized messages. She continued walking slowly and she heard music. Violins, specifically. Another bobble head sat on the ground before her and she warily picked it up. This one read:

_This is one situation you're not going to be able to fight your way out of. He's not here to save you._

Ava threw it into the water and continued on her way. At least the music was soothing and pleasant. It seemed to get louder the further she went. The world was now a shade of purple and another bobble head appeared in front of her.

_Keep it up, you're almost there…wherever 'there' may be…probably nowhere._

"What the fuck?" shouted Ava. The bobble head turned into dust and floated away. She whimpered and held herself as she sat on the ground for a moment. All she wanted was Charon to come find her, to tell her how stupid she was for getting lost and to hold her close to him while she slept. Ava panicked and started looking about the bog. Her head was pounding and she had no idea why.

"Charon! Charon I need you! Please help me, I'm freaking out! Charon!" Ava screamed. There was no answer, only the wind blowing between the dead trees. She stood up and decided to keep going.

She took a step and a giant, transparent saw began cutting into the ground beside her. The noise it made, it was searing into her eardrums. So loud…so close…

Ava ran. Bottles of Nuka-cola Quantum rained down beside her and made quiet, little explosions. The saw was following her, getting louder. It faded almost immediately when she found another bobble head.

_Isn't it funny how everything you get close to ends up leaving?_

"No…Charon! Please, don't leave me. I…I think I'm falling for you. I don't want anyone else; the thought of someone else makes me sick! You're the only one I can trust. I may not have dad but I have you! Please, please don't leave me. I need you!" Ava sobbed into her hands. Charon wouldn't leave her.

Would he?

She walked further and the world went upside down. Literally. Ava held her breath and ran as fast as she could, her feet touching the sky. When she made it to the other side, she let out her breath and fell to her knees, heaving. Out of the corner of her eye, a giant sewing needle was sewing the world back together again. Maybe this was all coming to an end. At the end of the path, stood an operating table with a skeleton wearing a party hat. Balloons decorated the morbid scene and so did a bobble head.

_Blech, if my kid looked like that, I'd abandon it too._

It was mom. The skeleton was mom.

Ava threw up once more and the bile burned her throat like nothing she had ever felt. The world went red. Bodies dotted the water. Human bodies. Ava was afraid to touch them or even look at them, but she was so close to getting out of the bog. Another bobble head stood beside the water's edge.

_He doesn't care about you. The second he gets in your pants, he's gone._

"That's not true!" Ava screamed as she kicked the bobble head as hard as she could. She marched into the water and pulled up the bodies to see who they were.

Dad. Amata. Elder Lyons. Moira. Gob. Carol. Nova. Herbert.

There was one last body and Ava knew who it belonged to. She gently held Charon's head in her arms, his blue eyes blank and dead. She traced the bones in his face and couldn't stop the tears that fell from the corners of her eyes.

"I wanted you to stay with me. I thought I meant something. You're not the cold-blooded monster everyone thought you were. You weren't supposed to leave!" she whispered, her voice shaking before letting go of Charon's body and watching him sink to the bottom. Ava looked up and saw a final bobble head in front of an atom bomb. Mr. Burke leaned against the bomb with a dark smile on his face. The same smile he gave Ava before undressing her. She picked up the bobble head and read it.

_Dead mother, dead father, life in a post-nuclear Wasteland and not a friend in it. Yeah, you aren't exactly blessed. _

Rage surged through her body. This, she knew wasn't true.

"I have friends. Friends that fucking love me. My best friend is the most feared ghoul ever to walk the Wasteland and god damn it, I love him!" Ava snarled.

Mr. Burke laughed softly and said, "Congratulations my dear, you're going to pull through."

A sadistic grin formed on Ava's beautiful face and she raised her rifle, pointing it at Burke's head.

"Fucking right I am," she said with unnatural confidence. She pulled the trigger of her rifle and obliterated Burke's head.

Ava's world went black.


	12. Hearing Voices

**Thanks for the reviews guys! Not gonna lie, I choked up at the end of this chapter. 3**

* * *

Ava stood outside of the cathedral's door, unsure of what just happened to her. She had woken up on a bedroll outside of the bog entrance. Her entire body felt sore, her head especially. She had cautiously felt the side of her head that burned with the most pain and she found a crusty gash that was stitched closed. She couldn't possibly give stitches to herself, not at the angle the injury was. She had looked around for any signs of life but there was none. How did she get outside the bog? All she could remember were terrible things. The bodies, the bobble heads, crying out for Charon. Burke and his bomb. The only way to get answers for both herself and Desmond was to go back to the cathedral.

"Jesus, I feel like I just took a shit-ton of jet and psycho," she muttered to herself before pressing the button on the intercom. The gate slid open and Ava saw one of the Tribals walking towards her.

"Truly, the Mother Punga has bestowed her wisdom upon you and your mind has been expanded!" said the Tribal.

"What happened? Why does my head hurt so much?" asked Ava.

"That is merely the sensation of your consciousness rushing to embrace its true potential. It is the feeling of having no boundaries. No limits! Ye, though your body will bear the scars of the ritual-"

_You have got to be fucking kidding me. I am killing everyone here for this,_ she thought.

"-Your soul shall be forever strengthened by the experience! You are now welcomed in our cathedral. Enter, enlightened sister!" he said in a grand voice.

Ava stood there dumbfounded. Desmond did not mention getting mutilated by psychos in loincloths and painted faces. Not only would she kill everyone here when she was done with them, she was going to punch Desmond right in his fucking British mouth.

"Who leads our tribe?" she asked, trying to keep her tone of voice civil.

"Leader? That would be Jackson, a man of great wisdom. He has retreated to his Cavern of Communion to contemplate the unknowable. Only the righteous are trusted to know where this nexus of understanding lies. And alas, I am not so blessed," he explained.

"Why did you attack the mansion? Does the ghoul there have something you want?" Ava pressed.

"Our most enlightened one divined that the fates themselves did decree that the mansion must be burnt to the ground," he said simply. Ava decided he didn't know anything worthwhile, but maybe someone inside did. She opened the tall, wooden doors of the cathedral and walked inside.

The Tribals were growing a different version of the native punga fruit inside. Ava picked one and bit into it; it tasted much better. She had to bring a few of these back to Gob's. He could make a pretty cap off of them. A man was dancing in the center of the room, drool spilling from the corner of his mouth. He must not have done well in the ritual. In a corner of the cathedral, Ava saw a head of bright orange hair. It must be Nadine. She quickly walked over to the girl, hoping she was not insane like the rest of these clowns here.

"Looks like we got ourselves another newbie in the tribe! And still able to string together whole sentences! Ain't you the lucky one?" said the girl.

"Nice to meet someone who isn't crazy," said Ava. She stuck out her hand and the girl took it, shaking it with a smile.

"Hey, hey, hey, I might still be ten kinds of crazy! You don't even know me and ya can't tell by looking. I could be, 'friendly 'til she stabs you in the neck' kinda crazy. Then where would you be? All surprised and stabbed, that's where! But I'm not a vegetable like some of the others that come back from getting their heads cut open," laughed the girl.

"Heads cut open? What the hell are you talking about?" asked Ava in complete horror.

"That scar on your head? We all get them after coming out of the bog. You know, the last part of the ritual. You're high off your ass, you pass out. Some guy brings you outside and cuts your head open and 'free your mind.' As in, he rips out a piece of your brain. It's supposed to be a part that 'holds you back' but that doesn't always turn out so good…but you look like you turned out all right! I'm Nadine."

"Nadine, your mother sent me here to find you," said Ava.

Nadine sighed and said, "Look, it's not like I don't want to go home. I love my ma, even if she does want to make me claw my eyes out sometimes. I just wanted to come out here to find a fortune, make a mark you know? Tell my ma that I'll be coming back, just not quite yet," said Nadine.

"That sounds fair. Now, who the fuck cut open my head?" asked Ava.

"Eh, I got a hunch. I'm going to do a bit of snooping and see what I can dig up. Meet me by the riverboat in a day or so, I might have something," said Nadine. Ava was livid, but there was still a job to do. This meant talking to Jackson, the leader of the Tribals.

"Where can I find Jackson?" Ava asked.

"Off in his magical thinking cave I guess. He says that we're not enlightened enough to know where it is. That shit pisses me off. I thought this was all drugs and magic but it's just the same crap as everywhere else. So, I trailed Jackson to his stupid mystery cave…" said Nadine with a sly look.

"I'm going. Where is it?" asked Ava. She was becoming impatient. She wanted to just fucking leave already so that she could finish her job and possibly tell a certain ghoul just how important he was to her.

"The cave's under the cathedral. Crazy, right? You can't get in from here though. Use this key to go through a door in a wrecked ship just down by the cliffs here. When you find that old idiot, tell him thanks for all the punga fruit I could steal," said Nadine. Ava grinned at her as she sauntered out of the cathedral. They were very much alike, and Ava wanted to leave as well. She didn't want to keep the men waiting.

* * *

Desmond and Charon had been staring at each other without saying a word for over an hour. The whiskey Desmond had offered was indeed very good and Charon had two glasses of it already.

"I didn't think you'd take your whiskey neat," said Desmond.

"There's no other way to drink it. Only a complete moron would use a mixer or water it down with ice," Charon growled.

Desmond shifted in his chair uncomfortably and said, "No point in moping about because the Smoothskin isn't here. Go ahead. I know you've wanted to interrogate me. Start by telling me what you remember."

"I remember being a poor child. No shoes, no food. I don't remember my parents; they could have been dead already, I am not sure. Then, I recall being taken by slavers," said Charon.

"You're already wrong. Those weren't slavers. They were from the Commonwealth," said Desmond.

Charon stood up, letting his glass fall to the floor. "They tortured me. I failed at something and the beatings came. You were there, alongside them. I should kill you right now," he said angrily.

"Charon, I did **not** condone what they were attempting with you. You were just a kid, they wanted to turn you into this mindless killer and on top of that, you were turning into a bloody ghoul already. I was undergoing that change myself. I was trying to find a way to stop it from happening to you. I fucking pitied you. Obviously, there's no way to stop it. Not yet anyway," Desmond calmly explained. "And before you jump down my fucking throat about my visiting Ahzrukhal, he had information for me. Information that led me where some of my enemies were."

Charon sat back in his seat, fuming. What Desmond told him had made sense, so there was no sense in being angry at him any longer. He could certainly continue to dislike him for the pig he was. Charon had seen how Desmond looked at Ava, and that alone was enough to warrant him stabbing the ghoul in the neck.

"How is Ahzrukhal anyway?" Desmond asked.

"Dead," said Charon.

"How can you kill your employer? The contract forbade it."

"Ava bought my contract off him. I hated that rat, so I killed him. She freed me immediately afterward," Charon said.

Desmond perked up when he heard Charon use the Smoothskin's name so easily. The old ghoul couldn't resist irritating the younger one like he used to at the Ninth Circle. Charon had grown up to be quite the asshole and he aimed to put him in his place.

"You're lucky to have such a fine looking specimen by your side," began Desmond. Charon cocked an eyebrow.

"I know."

"If you ever leave her, mind if I snatch her up? It's quite obvious she has no aversion to ghouls and you don't see a bird like that too often. Deadly, and fuckin' beautiful. The shit I would do to her…" said Desmond.

Charon tensed up and a growled rumbled from his chest. Desmond grinned darkly. He had hit a nerve.

"That body of hers is bloody fantastic. All that running about in the wasteland must have done her well." Desmond laughed and added, "I'd do her well, if you know what I mean."

"That's enough Desmond," said Charon.

"Oh, plan on courting her do you? You're not exactly the best looking man in the wasteland."

"Perhaps I do plan on courting her, so would you kindly fuck off before I cut your throat open?" said Charon.

"So touchy! But seriously, I would have Ava on her knees. Have you seen her mouth? She looks like she would give the best fuckin' blow-"

Charon's fist slammed into Desmond's chin and knocked him to the floor. Desmond's two dogs growled fiercely but Charon ignored him.

"If you _ever_ talk about her in that manner again, I swear to god, I will fucking kill you. Understood?"

Desmond spat some blood from his mouth and smiled at Charon. He stood up and only a few inches separated him and Charon, who was shaking with fury.

"Not only would I have her on her knees for me, but I would tear her ass apart. She'd be fuckin' screaming, it would be so good!"

Charon snarled viciously and his hands wrapped tightly around Desmond's throat. The ghouls fell to the floor as Charon continued to strangle Desmond. The dogs began pulling at Charon, but he paid them no mind. All he could think of was crushing the life out of Desmond.

Ava walked through the front door and into the foyer, and saw the men on the floor. Charon was choking Desmond, and somehow, it wasn't surprising. A fire extinguisher lay on the floor and Ava picked it up, walking over to them. They squabbling pair still hadn't noticed her return. She squeezed the handle, spraying foam all over the pair and they immediately separated.

"Seriously you two? You're acting like fucking five year old kids!" Ava shouted. Both men said nothing but continued to glare at each other. Ava pointed at Charon and said, "You. Come here."

Charon noticed the wound on her head and lifted his hand to examine it, but she slapped it away like a fly.

"Did you start the fight?" she asked.

"What the fuck happened to your head?" Charon asked with concern, trying to avoid the question.

"Charon…"

"Yes. I did."

"Why?"

"I was defending your honor if you must pry," he snapped. Ava smiled and wiped some of the foam from his face. Charon pointed at her injury with a scowl. "I will murder whoever did that to you."

"I know you will," she replied.

Desmond pushed Charon out of his way and shouted, "You infiltrated those Tribals yet?"

"Those idiots let me in with open arms. I have the leader's location," said Ava.

"Nice work—As if sneaking into a compound full of morons is any work," he said.

"Well if it's so fucking easy, why don't you do it? **THEY CUT MY FUCKING HEAD OPEN AND TOOK BRAIN. BRAIN DESMOND!" **she bellowed.

"Go find out why he's been trying to attack this place. Don't come back until you do, and take this fucking asshole with you. I give him my best whiskey, tell him all the information I could from his past and he has the nerve to fucking attack me!" shouted Desmond.

Ava shook her head and took Charon's arm, pulling him out the front door as he and Desmond continued to shout obscenities at each other.

* * *

Outside, Charon led Ava around to the back of the house, and into a large gazebo that overlooked the ocean. Ava took a seat in the lone white chair and Charon sat on the low wall beside her. She leaned against his side and smiled widely, glad to be by his side once more. The ghoul took the opportunity to further examine her injury. They would have to watch it and make sure it didn't become infected.

"What do you mean, they cut your head open? What the fuck is wrong with those people?" said Charon with disgust. "Are you all right Smoothskin? I mean, you haven't forgotten anything or feel strangely, do you?"

"I'm fine. I remember everything. Well, not everything. They made me go to this bog on the other side of the island and I pretty much tripped balls off the gas of this plant. That's when they cut me," she explained. Charon snorted in repulsion.

"So, did you get anything out of Desmond?" she asked.

Charon nodded and told Ava everything he had learned about his past. He summed it up as best he could; he didn't wish to be reminded so much of his past now. It was horrifying enough to live through it once.

When he was done, he stretched his arms over his head and smiled at his Smoothskin. "Enough of this talk though, it is the past and I am done with it."

Remembering what ran through her mind at the bog, Ava asked, "What about your future?"

"Why do you ask? Are you planning to fire me the second you complete all your tasks?" he said with a grin. There it was, that grin again. Ava loved it more and more every time she saw it.

"No…I was hoping you'd stay with me longer, actually. If you wanted," she answered quietly. Her blood was rushing to her cheeks and it burned. There was no way Charon didn't notice.

"I said I would stay with you until you send me away. But what if you take on a husband? Chances are he wouldn't be pleased with an overly protective ghoul living in the same house," he said. Charon laughed at the very idea. He would never let another man come near Ava unless she expressed interest first. He may want her for himself, but in the end, he wanted her to be happy. If it was without him, then…he'd have to get over it.

"Me? Have a husband? You're crazy. I've never even been on a real date. I hated the guys in the vault. You've seen them. Blech," said Ava.

Charon looked over at the lighthouse and got an idea. Pulling on Ava's arm, he lifted her to her feet. "Come on, we don't have much light left. Hurry!"

"Where…are we going somewhere? I don't feel like finding that lunatic tonight. I want to relax. I just had brain surgery," she whined.

"I am taking you on a date. It will be a first for the both of us," said Charon. He hoped she wouldn't take this badly but realized he could play it off as a joke if he had to.

Ava was stunned into silence. He must be joking. The hardened ghoul who barely showed emotion wanted to take her out?

_He shows emotion around you, _whispered the voice in Ava's head, causing her to smile softly.

"You…I should be getting flowers or something. Don't shortchange me here," she teased. She watched in amazement as Charon quickly gathered blades of marsh grass and wove a misshapen flower.

"Here. Damn brat," he said with a laugh. Ava's cheeks reddened and he said, "I rather like that color on your face. It's becoming."

Ava couldn't look him in the eye but followed him down the hill and through the shallow water. He placed his hand at the small of her back and guided her to the lighthouse door. It was going better than he thought.

"That's a lot of stairs!" said Ava as she looked up.

"We can make it if we take it slow," he said, looking up. Ava grinned. Sometimes, he didn't realize the things he said to her.

"I know we can," she said quietly.

Charon led her up the winding staircase, looking behind him every few moments to make sure she still followed. He helped her across the gaps and thankfully they weren't wide at all. He just enjoyed the excuse to pick her up and feel her skin against his hands. At the top, Charon picked the lock quickly as Ava looked over the railing. The height was dizzying but Ava found the pattern of the stairwell to be unusually pretty.

"Ladies first," Charon said as he held the door open for her. Ava giggled, which was most unlike her, and dashed out the door.

Charon hoped he could hear her laugh like that a bit more often. It was enthralling and new for him. If there was anything the ghoul loved about the time he has spent with Ava, it was how he cherished little changes. He likened it to being a child again, learning new things and actually enjoying them this time around. Outside the door, the refreshing breeze from the ocean felt wonderful on his worn skin.

Ava perched carefully on the railing, looking up at the darkening sky. She heard Charon come through the door and expected him to berate her about sitting on the railing and how dangerous it was. Instead, he stood in the doorway for a few moments. Ava thought he was taking in the scenery but when she looked at him, she saw something else. Ava was staring at the love of her life. Sure, he wasn't exactly what she pictured herself falling for, but there he was, with a look of adoration on his face. He was looking at her. She beckoned him over to her with a wiggle of her finger. Charon stood in front of her, placing his hands on either side of her small body.

_What are we doing? Does she really want this? Maybe she's still recovering from the whole brain thing, _thought Charon.

"Is this still a date?" she asked. Charon smiled and took the woven flower from her small hand and tucked it behind her ear. Why did she have to smile like that all the time?

"Of course. Are you enjoying yourself?" he asked.

"I am. More than you know," she said. "In the bog, when I was out of it, I remember thinking of you constantly. I wanted to escape so that I could get back to you."

Charon stared at Ava's lips while she spoke. He put an arm around Ava's waist, securing her, and took her hand. Slowly, he brought it up to his eye level and examined it. Her hands were still soft and youthful compared to his large, tough ones. With a fleeting glance at Ava's eyes, he kissed the palm of her hand and placed it on his chest. Warmth flooded him almost immediately and he leaned into her. Ava clutched his chest and he squeezed her tightly.

"I have you, don't worry," he whispered. Ava had tilted her head up, her lips slightly parted. Her hand had made its way from his chest to the back of his neck and she pulled him even closer to her. Charon felt like he was burning and drowning all at the same time when she wrapped her legs behind him.

"I believed I was a fool for no one, but I am for you," Charon managed to say. Ava pressed her forehead against his and trembled at the thought of his lips on her hand. She wanted to savor that moment for the rest of her life, and keep it safely tucked inside what was left of her mind. She had never been this close to anyone in her whole life and she was sure he felt the same way.

_He's probably confused. Maybe I should explain-_

"My god, you are incredibly beautiful," he said before kissing her. Charon had no idea if this was what Ava wanted. All his doubt was cast aside when Ava slid off the railing and into his arms. Both of her hands cupped his face and she kissed him with such fervor, Charon could not have thought it possible.


	13. Thought Control

**I love your reviews! They are helpful and I always try to improve on what I can, so don't be afraid to point out something you don't like. I can't get better if I dunno what I'm not doing well. I'm writing another chapter right now, so you guys will get 2 in one day. Yay! Glad you guys are enjoying what I write. It's so encouraging, you have no idea. :)**

* * *

Ava and Charon sloshed through the water at the shore line, hand in hand. She didn't mind the water seeping into her boots or the sand slowing her down. All she had to do was look at who held her hand and she was all smiles. Charon had flat out refused to look in her eyes since he kissed her at the top of the lighthouse. He would just look away and smile or clear his throat.

"You're not angry about my…forwardness…are you? I was fully expecting a punch in the face, a knee in the groin maybe. Your eagerness was the last thing I expected," Charon admitted. He had even tensed his body, preparing for a well placed hit that never came. Ava's soft lips on his rough ones was the only thought coursing through his brain at the moment. He still didn't believe that it had happened and that for the last two hours, that it was all they were doing.

Ava laughed and kicked water in his direction. "I'm not a cold-hearted bitch. Who could be a better match for me than my best friend?"

"A human," answered Charon bitterly.

"You're human."

"No, I am a ghoul. Huge difference."

Ava sighed and continued down the shore with him. She had never heard him use the term "ghoul" with such disdain before. Charon had expressed his concern about the backlash Ava would receive about their relationship. She already got cold disapproving looks from most Wastelanders when they were seen together. Her enemies would use it against her, forcing him to watch as she was tortured and vice versa. He could see it coming from a mile away. That was why he had suggested they keep the relationship behind closed doors and away from prying eyes. Here, in Point Lookout, they were far away from the Enclave and the Talon Company, and so he had taken her hand.

The cliffs rose high above them as the sea lapped at their feet. Ava was enjoying the mild prickling inside her boots from the rads in the water. The scenery was so vastly different from D.C. that she could get used to some mild rad poisoning if it meant she could enjoy the beach. A bit of fog hung in the air, giving the cliffs a haunting appearance. Charon held an arm out to Ava, and pointed to a clutch of mirelurk eggs. He signaled for her to stay quiet and he took out his shotgun, his finger just barely touching the trigger.

"Nadine said the ship that leads to the entrance is right over there, around the corner," Ava whispered.

Charon nodded and took the lead. Ava took out her Chinese assault rifle and kept it ready in her arms. They both tried their hardest not to splash in the water and attract unwanted attention. The pair did well until they rounded the corner. Two mirelurk hunters and a mirelurk king stood between them and the rusted boat.

"The king is mine. Deal with the hunters," Charon grunted.

"Oh but honey, that means I'll get to kill two more things than you! You're so thoughtful!" said Ava with a laugh. The mirelurks perked up at the sound of her voice and began their charge.

"If you ever call me that again, I will cut your tongue out," said Charon with disgust. He aimed his shotgun and pulled the trigger as Ava began shooting the hunters, her laughter louder than the gunshots themselves.

"You might regret cutting out my tongue, honey. Just sayin'," Ava said suggestively. She easily gunned down the two hunters and gave Charon a wide smile as he looked back at her.

"Damn it all! Save your perverse jokes for after the fire fight!" he shouted. Charon shoved Ava up the short wooden plank to the wrecked boat and slammed the butt of his shotgun into the mirelurk king's head, killing it. He kicked the plank into the water and Ava unlocked the hatch with Nadine's key.

"There isn't much room at the bottom. Be careful," said Charon as he climbed down.

The cavern was expansive, with an eerie blue glow caused by the pools of water and glowing fungus. A mirelurk swam silently through the water. The ledge was not very wide at all. Ava could manage it just fine but Charon had to cling to the wall so he wouldn't fall into the water.

"I guess we follow the torches?" asked Ava. Charon nodded and he took her hand.

The end of the path was littered with skeletons. The sight of them made Ava sick. Her mother's skeleton was still fresh in her mind, even if it was a drug-induced hallucination. What Ava saw in the huge cavern they had just came to, however, made her stomach churn. Thick roots hung in the air from the ground above their heads and intertwined with those roots were caskets. Some caskets had fallen to the cave floor, breaking open and releasing their contents. Even Charon cringed slightly at the sight. Voices that had come from the ridge across the cave caught their attention. Charon gave her a little push towards the ridge and kept to the shadows and out of sight.

Ignoring the caskets, Ava walked up the ridge and found a peculiar spectacle. A Tribal. And he was talking to a hologram of a brain. The man turned and walked towards Ava. She could see the rightfully placed fear in his eyes.

"Who…who are you?" asked the man Ava believed to be Jackson.

"I was drawn to your eternal wisdom," she answered.

"What good news! Perhaps you will be the one to cleanse our holy land of its disruptive presence. The Transcendent Master will want to hear of this. After all, it is he who makes all the decisions about the spiritual growth in our tribe, including the decision to cleanse the mansion," said Jackson.

"May I meet him?" she asked politely.

"I sense in you, a great potential. Perhaps you have what is needed to accept his teachings and grow from his wisdom," said Jackson before walking off and out of the cavern. Charon came out from hiding and joined Ava on the ridge.

"So, you're the mice that have been scurrying around here? Hmm…you're not much to look at, ghoul. You all look the same to me. But you, girl, such a lovely and welcoming sight. You two aren't drooling over yourselves. I can work with that," said the projection. Charon and Ava exchanged glances as the hologram continued to speak.

"Now, perhaps you can be more helpful than that simpering spiritualist and his tribe of idiots," said the hologram.

"What the hell are you?" Charon asked.

"It's a holographic projection. We had them inside the vault. They were all pre-recorded but this is a live feed," explained Ava.

"Oho! A vault dweller eh? Then you are not tainted with stupidity like everyone else on this god forsaken island. As for myself, you gaze upon one of America's greatest minds, preserved by the miracles of SCIENCE! Much more elegant than shambling on as some rotted corpse for all eternity, don't you agree?" said the projection.

Ignoring his jab at Charon (she couldn't really do much damage to a hologram), Ava asked, "How did you come to lead this tribe?"

"Jackson believes me to be some kind of god. You'd think that would be good but his interpretations of my commands leaves something to be desired. Regardless, I trust you two to be more effective than he has been. I need your help on an important task. There's a troublesome ghoul who lives in Calvert mansion. I need him destroyed and his jamming device neutralized immediately."

Ava had no idea what the hell the brain was talking about. Desmond had never mentioned a jamming device.

"What have you got against the ghoul?" she asked.

"More than you could possibly imagine with your pink, squishy mind, but the only pressing matter at the moment is the device in his possession. He has a jammer that limits my projection range to this pathetic cave. Remove that and I can extend my reach much further. Killing Desmond would be a nice plus, but we can get around to that later. Go!" shouted the brain before flickering and going out completely.

* * *

Charon and Ava climbed a ladder to the surface and they wearily walked back to the mansion. Ava did not look forward to Desmond's ranting but Charon hoped that the ghoul would give him another reason to knock his ass to the ground. The feeling of his knuckles bruising Desmond's rotting flesh was oddly satisfying.

"I knew it! I knew that little bastard was behind all this! After all these years, he stuck his head out and this is my chance to cut it off! Figuratively speaking, of course," roared Desmond as Charon and Ava walked into the foyer.

"Who is this brain, Lockheart?" asked Charon.

"HIM! He was once a man-Professor Calvert. The Calverts owned half of Maryland, back when there was a Maryland to own. Members of the Calvert family were influential all over the world. They practically owned a deed to the U.S. government. In their best days, there were no less than three Calvert family senators, seven members of the house, and two governors," explained Desmond.

"Holy shit," said Ava and Charon in unison.

"They even had a top candidate for president, until that scandal with the dog forced him to drop out of the race. I was particularly proud of that one," said Desmond with a sly grin.

"So what the fuck is going on here?" asked Ava.

"Centuries, we've played this game. I knew he'd be stupid enough to hide close to his old family home. It's not a matter of hate. It's a matter of destiny. He is my enemy and I do not suffer any bastard who opposes me to live. I knew he was here, and it is my intent to find him and call down a righteous fuckin' hammer on his head."

"So, now you want me to do something else, right?" asked Ava.

"Of course I want you to fucking do something else! You expect me to trot around this mud-hole myself?" he snarled.

"Maybe you should watch your tone, old man!" snapped Ava. She was really getting tired of the shit that he threw at her, as if she were a stupid child.

"Or what? You'll shoot me? You think you can take me down, when so many others have failed?" he said darkly as he stepped up to Ava. Charon shoved an arm between them and pushed Desmond back roughly.

"I could certainly finish you off, you rotting sack of shit," said Charon as he stood in front of Ava protectively.

Desmond looked around Charon and pointed a finger at Ava, shouting, "You best wise the hell up and play along! I'll get what I want, and you'll get rich. Then, we can go on our separate goddamn ways."

"Oh, well I can't wait to hear this," she said.

"Those half-wits are getting messages from the Professor right? He's broadcasting them and without those buggers to do things for him, he can't do much for himself. So we need to cut off his communication and he'll need to try harder. Maybe then I can find that squishy little worm and finish him off for good!"

"All right old man," said Ava calmly. "What's your plan?"

"If I know Professor Calvert, and I do, he's using a high frequency cognitive sine broadcast. I have the perfect device to jam up him little talkbox. All you need to do is take it to the highest point on the shore and install it. Easy, right?" said Desmond.

"The wheel by the docks?" she asked.

"Yes. Attach to the bottom car, turn it on and spin it to the top. No fuckin' problem. I'll watch from here and turn it on when it reaches full height; then we'll see where the little professor is. Now, fuck off and do it!" Desmond shoved a small, metal box into Charon's hand and waved them out of the room.

* * *

Ava took Charon's arm as they walked back outside. She was so tired. She just wanted to go home to Tenpenny Tower, pull Charon into bed and fall asleep. Well, maybe not sleep right away…suddenly she wasn't so tired. They walked silently through the marsh grass towards the boardwalk. The wind rustled between them, bringing in the scent of the salty ocean. The happiness Ava felt vanished the moment she set foot on the boardwalk.

"It is I! Professor Calvert! Don't bother looking around, for I am in your mind!" shouted a voice in Ava's head. She cried out in fright, covering her ears as Charon took her by the shoulders, shaking her.

"What the hell? Ava! Can you hear me?" shouted Charon.

"Do not fear, you won't be harmed. The ghoul you travel with cannot hear me, his mind is too strong to break into," said Calvert's voice.

"Get out of my fucking head!" Ava screamed. Charon's eyes exploded with rage and worry. What was happening to his Smoothskin? He could not deal with something beyond his control. Ava clawed at the wound at the top of her head, but he held her hands down, fearing she would tear the stitches out completely.

"Aren't you Desmond's faithful little employee? Here to gum up my plans, are you? I have a better idea. How about instead of playing his game, you destroy that nasty little device. Dispose of it in the trash compacter and we'll never have to worry about it again. I assure you, that the gratitude of Professor Calvert is worth much more than one of an old, ghoul limey," said the voice.

Ava gripped onto Charon's armor and looked at him with utter fright. "Calvert can talk to me through my mind! He wants me to destroy the jammer," she cried.

Charon shook his head and said, "If he can talk to you through your mind, I can't imagine what else he can do. We need to set up the jammer. Now."

Charon and Ava ran to the ferris wheel and Ava quickly strapped the jammer to the lower basket. Charon flipped the switch, giving the wheel power and it slowly began to turn. As it neared the highest point, Calvert came back into Ava's mind.

"You fool! What have you done! You will pay for this. PAY! NO ONE BETRAYS ME! I WILL MAKE YOU SUFFER!" Calvert's voice screamed. Charon cut the power to the ferris wheel when the jammer reached the highest point and Calvert's voice vanished immediately. Ava heard footsteps behind her. Tribals were running towards them. And they were pissed.

"Charon! Tribals!" she shouted.

They pulled out their weapons and began to fire. Charon jumped over the railing, ramming his shoulder into a Tribal and shot him in the chest. Another tribal rushed forward and cut Charon's arm deeply with a combat knife. The ghoul's hand snapped forward and he threw the Tribal into a wall. Ava dashed past Charon and unleashed hell with her Chinese assault rifle. It tore limbs from the Tribal's bodies and sent blood splattering all over the wooden boardwalk. Ava relished the spectacular sight of blood and gore. No one would come near her or Charon. Not if she could help it.

Charon snatched Ava's .44 Magnum from her belt and aimed at a sniper that had appeared on the rooftop. Pulling the trigger, he sent a single bullet straight between the sniper's eyes and she toppled to the ground below. He gently placed a hand behind Ava's neck and aimed for another Tribal who was running towards them, swinging an axe. Ava sighed softly at Charon's touch as she annihilated the Tribals carrying shotguns and rifles. Another perfect shot, and the Tribal came crashing to Charon's boots.

Ava ran out of ammo and in one swift and completely fluid moment, she and Charon exchanged positions as he handed her the .44 Magnum and he pulled out his shotgun. Ava felt a shot graze her hip and she winced.

"Too close! There's too many!" she shouted. The Tribals continued to come in like ants. Droves and droves of them. Another bullet whizzed by Charon's ear, but he did not cower. Charon glanced up, distracted by movement.

"Another sniper! Take him out! Our nine o'clock!" Charon said to Ava. She aimed quickly and got the shot, right through the sniper's eye.

"Head shot motherfucker! Hell yes!" she shouted.

"Exellent! Now let's destroy the rest of these maggots and show Calvert who he is fucking with!" Charon growled, his voice deep with fury.

"You're so hot when you get pissed off honey," said Ava as she picked off another Tribal. There were only a few left now; some had begun to run the other way when they saw the massacre that was unfolding.

"What did I tell you about calling me that? Do I have to punish you or something?" asked Charon with a raised brow.

"I think you might enjoy that a little too much. I know I might," said Ava with a devious little grin. She took the combat knife from Charon's back pocket and threw it, stabbing the final Tribal in the throat and sending him sprawling on the ground. Charon sighed, content that fight was over. He held out his arm, allowing Ava to inject his arm with a stimpak as he did the same for her thigh. He was aching for her as a result of her teasing. When they got home, he decided he would take her to bed and teach her how to listen properly, if that was what she wanted.

"Let's get back to the mansion, before more of those Tribals show up. The sooner we finish all this, the sooner we can get home," said Charon with a smirk. He walked over to the Tribal and pulled the knife from his throat, placing it back in his pocket.

"Home sounds great right about now. This place would be nice if it weren't for all the psychotic brain, moronic Tribals, in-breds and mirelurks," Ava said as he put his arm around her waist.

"Let's not forget the asshole that lives in the mansion," added Charon.

They made it back to the mansion in record time. The low, decorative wall was only a few feet away when Charon heard a low beeping sound. Small explosions came from within the mansion before it exploded into a massive fireball, throwing both Charon and Ava on their backs. Charon immediately flung himself over Ava as the explosions continued. When they ceased, he pulled her to her feet and they both coughed heavily, feeling for each other through the thick clouds of smoke and dust.

"Are you all right?" shouted Ava. The blast had deafened them both and Charon stuck his pinky finger into his ear, trying to regain his hearing.

"What? Are you injured?" he bellowed, not sure if Ava could hear. She pulled him by the wrist into the wreckage of the house. Charon pulled up large pieces of plaster and cement, checking if Desmond was underneath. Bits of wood rained down from the sky from the blast, and Ava shielded her eyes, searching for a sign of the arrogant ghoul bastard. Charon saw it before Ava did; a hatch in a slab of cement. Charon banged his fist on the metal door below pulling it open with all his strength. The hot metal handle burned through his gloves, melting his flesh but it was nothing some irradiated water couldn't fix. Ava hopped down the open hatch and Charon followed her, closing the door behind him.

Desmond jumped up from his chair and shouted, "THAT BASTARD! THAT BASTARD KILLED MY PUPS. ALMOST KILLED **ME**! AND FOR **WHAT?** He doesn't have the FUCKING BODY TO DO IT HIMSELF and he tries to blow up **ME**? THIS ENDS TODAY! You two, come with me. I know where he is…"

"Calvert sent a horde of his Tribals after us. He will die today," said Ava.

"He's in the lighthouse, the little fuck. Right under my nose the whole time. Hiding behind robots and machines. What a miserable fucking life. And it ends now."

"I want to kill this motherfucker already, why are we just standing here?" Charon asked loudly. His blood was boiling. Calvert was the whole reason Ava was drugged and cut into. He could get into her mind. Calvert would not live to see another hour.

"Now that's more like it! Follow me, you're about to witness the ending of an era!" said Desmond triumphantly. They all raced up the hatch and down the hill to the lighthouse, with murderous intent fresh in their minds.


	14. Clash Of The Great Minds

**All right guys, a bit of a warning for you here. This chapter gets pretty gruesome towards the end. It's also sad, but necessary. **

* * *

Ava and Charon followed Desmond up the path to the lighthouse. Desmond's cold eyes were bright with excitement at the chance to finally destroy one of his greatest foes. As much as Ava and Charon disliked Desmond, they had all suddenly bonded over their hate and anger towards Professor Calvert.

Desmond slammed his hand onto a hidden button inside the lighthouse, opening a door in the center of the floor.

"That wasn't here when we came here last night," mentioned Ava.

Desmond looked back at Charon and Ava with a grin as they walked down the steps. "What, you guys came here to neck?"

"We did, as a matter of fact," answered Charon. "Perhaps if you weren't such a dick, you'd get a woman yourself." Ava and Charon laughed loudly as Desmond scowled.

"Fuck you both," he muttered. He pushed open a door and an alarm began to go off.

They walked down more steps, going deeper into the lab. Ava looked into a room as they were going down the steps and saw an intact gatling laser sitting in the corner beside some lockers. She picked up the heavy weapon and handed it to Charon before kissing his cheek. The ghoul smiled and they followed Desmond into a room with a locked door and a switch beside it. Ava green eyes immediately found the ceiling turrets.

"If we touch anything, these are going to turn on," she said. Charon handed her his combat shotgun and aimed the gatling laser at one turret.

"I have this one. You have the other?" he asked. Ava pointed his shotgun at it and nodded. "Desmond, flip the door switch on three. One. Two. Three!"

Just as the door slid open, the turrets began to unfold but were destroyed within seconds. Desmond continued down the hallway, glad to have two equally violent allies behind him. A robo-brain met them at the bottom of the stairs and was immediately blown away by Ava's shotgun blast. Charon inspected every room as they walked down the long corridor, checking for enemies or anything valuable. One room appeared to be used for torture, blood permanently stained on the wall and medical table. At the end of the corridor was another room with turrets, similar to the one they were just in, except this one locked them inside as the turrets went active. Both Charon and Desmond stood in front of Ava, shielding her as they took out the turrets with ease.

Charon gave Desmond a knowing smirk to which Desmond replied, "So I've grown a soft spot for the girl. Not you though, Charon. I still fucking hate you."

Ava ignored the terminal beside the door. She'd much rather pick the lock on the door itself and she opened it within seconds. Charon pushed past her and she handed him a pulse grenade. He tossed it down another flight of steps and a blue pulse destroyed another turret and robo-brain. They continued down yet another corridor and turret room before finally walking into a large, circular room. A glass tube in the room's center held a floating brain.

"Come here girl, let's have a little chat," said Professor Calvert's voice. Ava smiled and walked over to the glass tube. She leaned over and tapped it violently, hoping it bothered the professor in some manner. Charon dropped his gatling laser to the floor and pulled out a double-barreled shotgun he had found in one of the lockers. All three of them have been waiting for this moment, almost to the point of exhaustion.

"How dare you violate my inner sanctum! I demand that you exterminate these ghouls at once! They are filthy beasts and do not deserve to live upon this earth!" shouted Calvert. Ava crossed her arms in defiance, and her smile became a fierce stare within seconds.

Desmond stepped up beside Charon and clasped his shoulder. "There's a little gem of information for you that I was saving until this exact moment. I could not save you from your tortures before, and Ava has freed you. I have nothing to offer you except this one little thing. You will enjoy it thoroughly, I assure you."

"I'm so sick of you. Both of you actually. But I'm already leaning towards a side," said Ava, unaware of the conversation between the two ghouls behind her.

"Your sickness is irrelevant! If you require it, I shall reward you!" said Calvert.

"And what information could you possibly give me that could give me such great fulfillment?" asked Charon with genuine interest.

"Why, it's so good that we might possibly be friends after all this," said Desmond.

Ava wondered how thick the glass tube was. She had noticed all the protectrons scattered about the room, and wondered if Calvert could activate them the moment she began shooting.

"Or I could just, you know, leave," said Ava to Calvert.

"You cannot! The doors are all locked and will remain that way until you kill them both!"

"Why do I have to kill my ghoul? What did he do to you?" Ava asked.

"They both threaten my existence and must perish! Both of them know too much!" shouted Calvert. Ava's eyes widened and her thoughts were flying…Desmond knew Professor Calvert and Charon. Charon had told Ava what little he remembered of his former life. The torture, abuse…mind control.

"You see Charon," said Desmond. "The orders to pluck you from the streets…"

Ava's face grew hot with anger. The thought of Charon as a child and in pain was almost too much.

"…And torture you into submission to make you a fearsome weapon…"

Charon's vision was blurring, focusing on one, single thing in that entire room. He gladly welcomed the feral side of him coming out.

"This is your last chance girl! Kill the worthless bags of flesh, and you will be rewarded beyond measure!" roared Professor Calvert's voice. Ava lifted her combat shotgun and aimed for her chosen target. She was sick of his shit. He needed to die and she wished that it could be more painful for him. Even so, it would never make up for what he'd done.

"…Came from _that_ _little fucker_," said Desmond as he pointed to the glass tube.

Charon walked forward, the rage almost consuming his body, and stood beside Ava with his double-barreled shotgun pressed directly against the glass. Desmond stood by Ava as well, chuckling while pointing his own sniper rifle at Calvert's brain.

"What…what are you doing! I SAID KILL THEM," shouted Calvert.

"It's time to say good bye, Calvert," Ava announced smoothly. The trio pulled their respective triggers, shattering the glass tube and ending the life of Professor Calvert.

Desmond whooped and raised his arms victoriously while Charon and Ava shared a tender embrace.

"At last! The world is free of that sniveling, disgusting, arrogant brain! Think of it! Everything he has ever learned! Everything he had! It's all here! It's all MINE! MINE!" shouted Desmond happily.

Ava shook her head and laughed at the old ghoul. "Calm down, there. You'll make a mess," she said. Charon rested his chin on Ava's head, content that his past was cleared somewhat and the asshole who made him into the monster he was now lay in a puddle of dirty water on the tile floor below them.

"I've been battling with Calvert for over two hundred years! And now, at last, I am the victor! Two hundred years of wealth, knowledge, and research now belongs to me!" said Desmond.

"Sounds good. Give me our cut, and we'll be out of your stylish hair in no time," said Ava.

"Take whatever you want from this place. Enjoy your spoils…and each other," said Desmond with a respectful nod towards Charon. The ghoul began to leave the room but Ava called out to him.

"Wait!"

"Great. More fucking questions. I guess we're best fuckin' friends now?" asked Desmond. There was no annoyance in his voice, which surprised both Ava and Charon.

"What are you going to do now? Just stay here?" she asked.

"I'll be heading north to pursue my next rival. There are only a few of us left now. The great game goes on. Sort of a…what's a word you two idiots would understand…microcosm? Yeah. It's a microcosm for the old world," Desmond explained. He held his hand out to Ava and she shook it.

"Thanks for the loot, you fucking asshole," said Ava, grinning widely.

"You're welcome Smoothskin," he said as he pointed to a newly opened door. Ava scampered off and began stuffing thousands of caps worth of items into her bag.

Desmond then stuck his hand out to Charon, and the ghouls shook hands, exchanging looks of new found respect.

"Maybe we will see each other again. I promise not to punch you in the face. Unless you're asking for it, of course," said Charon.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just remember; what I said to you back at the house? It still stands. You leave her, and I swear I will snatch her up." said Desmond.

"You're shit out of luck then. If you need assistance killing your next rival, we're in D.C. Look us up," said Charon.

"Sounds good. Good luck with the Smoothskin. Now, get the fuck out of here, I have a lot of fucking things to do," Desmond said.

Charon helped Ava pack more valuable junk into their bags and soon, they were climbing up the incredibly long ladder to the surface.

* * *

Ava and Charon walked side by side, happy to finally be on their way home. Ava saw the bright, orange hair from a distance and picked up her pace. Nadine had found out who was digging through their skulls, Ava was sure of it.

"Nadine!" Ava called out. "What did you find out?"

"I know who cut into our heads! You'll never guess who it is! As a totally unrelated hint, _I'm _in charge of the boat now!" said Nadine excitedly.

"Tobar!" roared Charon. He knew there was something off about that man.

"Oh yeah. When the Tribals would send someone into the swamp, he'd be waiting around to nab them when the punga seeds gassed 'em. He'd do his amateur surgery for the Tribals and let us wander back, all in exchange for punga fruit to trade. So I figured out this little deal for you and me. I get the boat, and you can deal with Tobar however you'd like. Is that cool?" she asked.

"That is a marvelous idea," said Ava in a most sinister manner.

"I wouldn't have figured it out if I hadn't snuck into his engine room while I was waiting for you. He is a sicko…you'll see what I mean. I locked him in there. And when you do deal with him, send Tobar my love," said Nadine.

Ava walked up to the engine room door and gripped the door handle tightly. "I'll be right back. This shouldn't take long," she said to Charon before she walked through the door. The ghoul nodded and stood with his arms crossed; he was making damn sure that only Ava would leave that room.

* * *

"Well, if it isn't my favorite traveler! And oh, what a trip you were on!" said Tobar as Ava closed the door behind her. She reached for her .44 Magnum and lovingly stroked its barrel with a long, slender finger.

"When you were under, you should have heard some of the things that came out of your mouth. Funny thing…you thought I was that big, ugly bastard that followed you on board. You were just so…friendly…and willing. I couldn't say no to that…"

Ava's blood ran cold upon hearing his words. He was lying. He had to be…

"I bet you were wondering why your head wasn't the only sore spot on that smokin' bod of yours," he said before laughing loudly. Ava swallowed the lump in her throat. There was only one way he could know that. Every last bit of Ava's innocence that she held onto since leaving the vault had now vanished, torn away in an instant. She felt dead inside. She felt dead. Empty. Nothing.

"I'll kill you for this, you son of a bitch," Ava whispered.

"Murder? Really? Now, what would your father say? You had a lot to say about him, you know. I thought a man like him would have raised you better than that. Guess he didn't spank you enough…but I can make up for lost time," said Tobar. Ava choked out a sob before ripping the door open and running out into Charon's arms.

"What happened? Did he hurt you?" Charon asked quickly. There was no room for teasing, not with the look on Ava's face. She looked…destroyed. Charon felt out of control once again and he hoped desperately he could help her.

"He…he took…When I was out…when I was out he raped-"

Charon's jaw clenched with uncontrollable, wild anger. He tore the engine room off its hinges, feeling an anger that could not even compare to what he felt when facing Calvert. Ava clutched his waist and sobbed loudly into his back. Tobar's face drained completely of color as Charon stepped into the tiny room.

"You _will_ be begging for mercy by the time I'm done with you," Charon snarled. Tobar reached for his gun, but the ghoul was much quicker. He reared back and punched Tobar with such force, it sent him crashing against the shelves and onto the wooden floor. Charon pulled out his combat knife, his bloodlust almost blinding him.

"This will be gruesome, Smoothskin," Charon said with a glance back at Ava. She had slumped beside the door frame and curled into a ball, her eyes blank and devoid of any life or happiness.

"Do your worst," she whispered, completely monotone.

Charon looked back at Tobar and said, "You know, I've never been one for torture…but better late than never." Charon glanced down at the crotch of Tobar's pants. He had wet himself.

"I think…I think I will begin with a bit of neutering, like the rutting animal you are," said Charon calmly.

Tobar screamed in agony as Charon tore his pants open and cut through his flesh with the knife. Ava closed her eyes tightly as Tobar continued his garbled screams. Charon wiped the knife clean on Tobar's shirt and stared at the blade for a few moments. Tobar deserved the worst, must humiliating treatment for what he had done to Ava and possibly every other woman he encountered in that bog.

"This," said Charon as he rammed the knife's blade into the now gaping hole in Tobar's body, "This is what you did to **my** Smoothskin. Beg for her mercy, you fucking pig, for I will give you NONE."

"FUCK! I'M SO SORRY. PLEASE, TELL HIM TO FUCKING STOP!" screamed Tobar. Charon paused and looked back at Ava as Tobar whimpered in misery and pain.

"More," was all she said.

Charon nodded and thrust the knife into Tobar once more. "You heard my girl," he growled. "No mercy for you today."

Tobar screamed and cried as Charon continued. A pool of thick, red blood had formed beneath him and it slowly trickled out towards Ava. She watched the knife in sick fascination and was grateful Charon had the gall to do what she couldn't. He was doing this for her. Tobar lasted a few more minutes before his body went limp and his pleading cries died out completely. Charon gasped for breath, his anger gone, and let the knife fall to floor with a clatter. He stood up, spat on Tobar's corpse and wiped his face on his sleeve. Ava looked at Charon with red, puffy eyes. He wordlessly helped her to her feet and they walked out of the bloody engine room. Nadine stepped back in horror when she saw what was left of Tobar.

"Nadine, take us home," said Charon.

He lead Ava into their room and guided her in, closing the door as quietly as he could. She sat on the small cot, silent and numb. Charon reached out to put a hand on her shoulder and Ava flinched. She must be afraid of him now after what he had just done. He hoped that one day, she would understand that he did it for her. He frowned and removed most of his armor, tossing it in a heap on the floor.

"I'm going to get some air. Will you be all right for a few moments?" he asked.

"No! Don't leave me alone!" she shouted, tears running down her face. Charon dropped to his knees and she fell into his arms, sobbing. Ava pressed her face into Charon's bare chest and screamed until her voice was gone. He had never seen someone break before his eyes and it was killing him, because he couldn't do a damned thing about.

"I'm so sorry, Ava. This is my fault. I…should have followed you, killed him when I had the chance, something," Charon whispered. Ava shook her head as she bawled uncontrollably. Charon carried her to the cot, where she cried for hours. Soon, she fell into an uncomfortable sleep and Charon held his head in his hands. He had failed her. Charon had never hated himself so much.


	15. Finding The Garden Of Eden

Nadine had successfully made it back to Washington D.C., ferry intact. She waved wildly to her mother who stood by the dock and dropped the anchor. Ava and her ghoul had not left the room since they departed from Point Lookout. Nadine saw what the ghoul had done to Tobar and there was no way she was going to risk pissing him off. She rushed off the boat and hugged her mother tightly; she had missed her more than she wanted to admit.

The ghoul stepped out of the cabin, fully suited in his armor, with Ava riding piggyback. Nadine frowned. Ava looked broken and gone, nothing like the cocky girl who waltzed into the Ark and Dove cathedral. Ever since she confronted Tobar…whatever he told her must have been really bad. The ghoul had decided to step in, and the anger on his face was seared into Nadine's memory. She had never seen anyone so livid before. If Nadine had to guess, the ghoul and Ava had paired off, and he was protecting what was his. That alone made him a better man than most. The ghoul walked forward, carrying both of their packs in one hand and their rifles in another.

"Will she be okay? She looks…like she's not doing too good," said Nadine.

The ghoul nodded as Ava pressed her cheek to the back of his neck. Her arms tightened for a moment and relaxed.

"She will be fine. There's a fair amount of weight on her shoulders, so I will carry her on mine," said the ghoul proudly. "Thank you for bringing us home."

Charon marched towards the Citadel, hoping that continuing her father's work would bring some life back into Ava. They passed some Brotherhood of Steel knights on patrol just outside of the fortress. Charon had always felt uneasy around the Brotherhood of Steel members. They were always watching him, looking for any excuse to start shooting. No one would dare take that chance now, not with their most precious Vault Girl on his back. He knew that if Ava was beside him, he was safe amongst the Brotherhood.

At the Citadel gate, Charon felt Ava tug on his armor and he stopped, allowing her to climb down. She took her guns and pack managed to give Charon a tiny smile. It restored some hope that she would be her old self again. Ava raised a hand to greet the gate guards and walked into the Citadel with Charon following right behind her. They walked across the training grounds, passing Paladin Gunny, who rushed over to Ava with a wide smile.

"Ma'am," said Paladin Gunny with a salute.

"Gunny, is it all right if my partner and I bum in one the rooms here tonight? We just came from Point Lookout and I'm…kinda tired," said Ava quietly. It was the most she had said since Charon confronted Tobar.

"Sure thing, just bunk in any empty room. No one will mind," he said.

Ava and Charon headed for the dormitory in Ring A of the Citadel and found an empty room with one small bed. They silently removed their armor and organized their bags for the next day. Ava crawled into the bed and sat up, hugging her knees. She stared at Charon with questioning eyes and he saw her bottom lip quiver ever so slightly. She was close to tears.

"Do you still want me? After what he's done to me?" said Ava suddenly. Charon sat beside her on the bed and gathered his Smoothskin in his arms. This was why she was so upset?

"I would never hold this against you, Ava. I have never cared for anything or anyone until I met you and that will never change," he said. Ava's smile came back to her face, not as strong as before, but almost. She scooted as close as she could to the wall, inviting him to lie down beside her. The bed groaned beneath him and he had to rest on foot on the ground to give Ava some room. She clutched his chest and he kissed her. Charon found it extremely difficult to be gentle around her, but he had to control himself. This was not the right time to try anything, but maybe one day soon, he'd allow himself to go a lot further. But not now. For now, he was content with what he had, which was already plenty.

"Thank you for staying with me. For dealing with him," Ava whispered.

"Of course, Smoothskin."

* * *

Ava had decided it was time to fetch the G.E.C.K from Vault 87. They left the Citadel at the ungodly hour known as 5 A.M, and began their long hike towards Lamplight Caverns. It had taken them over twelve hours to reach Smith Casey's garage, which was just beyond the caverns. The various yao guai, mole rats, and radscorpions they had encountered along the way were just minor annoyances. If anything it was a relaxing walk for the both of them. Point. Shoot. Replace clip. Shoot. Survey the area. This felt normal. And normal was what she needed right then.

The inside of Lamplight Caverns was lit up with strings of tiny lights everywhere. It was almost festive. Ava took the lead and walked forward until they met a barricade. They heard children laughing beyond the barricade and things getting knocked over, shouting, and more laughter.

"Hold it right there lady! Don't take another step or we'll blow your fuckin' head off!" shouted a young boy from the top of the barricade. Charon and Ava gawked in surprise. He was a child, yet he was carrying an assault rifle. Ava raised her hands in submission and Charon followed her lead. He groaned inwardly. He didn't think he'd be dealing with children.

"Whoa, hold on there. We're friendly," said Ava.

"You're big, and I don't have any big friends. You better just go out the way you came in," said the boy.

"Uh, who are you?" asked Ava.

"I'm MacCready. I run Little Lamplight because they made me the mayor, and I don't like strangers OR mungos."

"What are mungos?" asked Ava under her breath.

"Hell if I know," said Charon.

Ava lowered her arms and said, "We really need to get to Vault 87. Do you know the way?"

"You guys don't wanna go there. That's where the monsters live. Monsters that are even bigger and scarier than your monster. We're doin' pretty good at keeping them out. Better than you could do," said the boy with a smug look.

"We're not afraid. We need to get in there. Can't you just let us in? We're not gonna touch anything or hurt anyone," Ava pleaded.

"Hell no! No mungos allowed!" shouted MacCready.

"Yeah well, you know what? Your face looks like my butt!" Ava shouted back. Charon sighed and shook his head. Ava had finally lost it. She was arguing with a child.

"Oh yeah? You must like having such a good-lookin' butt. I bet he does," said MacCready with a smirk as he pointed to Charon.

_The kid's a smart ass too? Oh great,_ thought Charon. There was nothing he could do but shrug and nod in agreement. MacCready laughed loudly.

"At least it doesn't smell as bad as you do," she said with a wide smile.

MacCready laughed again and said, "You guys are pretty funny for mungos. Come on in."

Charon stood beside Ava, and she stood on her tip toes to kiss him. She grabbed his rough, gloved hand and walked through the gates, figuring that the children wouldn't fear Charon as much if she was holding hands with him. Mayor MacCready walked up to Ava and held up one small hand.

"Look, I don't let just any bitch into my town, and I'm taking a risk letting you in. So you're welcome here until the bullshit starts. Then you'll be out on your ass," he explained. He tapped his short, dirty finger against the side of his head and added, "I gotta give you two some sort of title, or the others will start questioning me. Can't have that shit, I like being mayor. Hmm…the little ones have been askin' for a mom…you can do that."

Charon coughed out a laugh that startled both MacCready and Ava alike. He couldn't imagine Ava putting up with any of the nonsense that these children would give her. The very idea of Ava being patient, was ridiculous.

"The fuck are you laughing at? You get to be dad," said MacCready. It was Ava's turn to laugh hysterically.

She gripped Charon's arm and squealed, "Daddy! Oh daddy am I your little Wasteland Princess?"

Ava started laughing so hard that her face was beginning to ache. Charon growled loudly but was pleased to see Ava a little bit happier. The children seemed to do it for her. A large group of the children had now gathered around them and were eyeing the pair suspiciously. A young blonde girl wearing a dirty pink dress tugged on Ava's belt before crossing her arms angrily.

"I heard what you said. In case you didn't know, I'm the boss here and I'm Princess, got it mungo? You have to do what I say," said Princess. Ava smiled up at Charon, and she gave him a wink before bending down to the girl's height.

"Did you just try to give me orders? That's cute, little Princess."

"Oh, you'll listen to me. Or else, I have my good friend RJ," she said as she jabbed a thumb at MacCready, "kick you out of town or even lock you in the vault"

"Back off, Princess! These mungos are cool. They've agreed to be our mom and dad," announced MacCready.

The children cheered and Charon winced at the sound. Ava stepped forward and allowed the children to rush over to her. She had always liked children, and was always kind to the ones she knew in Megaton. The younger ones held on to her legs and arms, all asking questions at once.

"Relax kids! I'm Ava, but I guess you can call me whatever you like-"

"Yay, mama!" cheered a few of the children. Ava laughed softly and squatted down, gathering the children around her.

"That's Charon," Ava whispered, pointing to the ghoul. "He's shy, so why don't you guys all run over there and give him a hug? He's really nice, I promise."

The children cheered loudly again and they all rushed over to Charon, grabbing his arms and climbing onto his back, attacking him with hugs and questions. He glared at Ava as she roared with laughter. This was so incredibly awkward and annoying for him. He would rather be facing four Deathclaws during their mating season than deal with children. Charon noticed the smallest girl was struggling to get his attention, jumping up and down and trying to push her way over to him. One of the older children accidentally knocked her to the ground and Charon instinctively reached for her and grasped her tiny hand, pulling her to her feet and into the crook of his arm.

"Whoa! You're big! You must be the biggest kid here!" she said in amazement. Charon chuckled. She didn't seem to be frightened of him at all.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"My real name is Betty, but most of the others call me Bumble. What are you called, big kid?" she asked. The ghoul looked over at Ava and saw her smiling like her old self again.

"I'm…Charon. It's nice to meet you," he said.

"I thought you would be mean, but I saw you holding hands with the other mungo, and she looks so nice so you must be nice too!" Bumble asked. Ava had come up beside Charon and leaned against him.

"Is she your girlfriend?" teased a young boy.

"What happened to your skin? Does it hurt?" asked another child.

Ava was about to tell the children to give Charon some room but he smiled and said, "It's all right, Ava. Now, for your questions: Yes, Ava and I are…best friends. And my skin was burned a long, long time ago when I was about your age. It does not hurt at all."

"All right, all right! Move along, the mungos will be here for a while, no use in harassing them!" shouted MacCready as he waved the younger children away. Charon placed Bumble back on the ground and she hugged his leg tightly before running after the others. MacCready tilted his hat towards Ava and Charon before continuing his rounds about the town.

Charon put an arm around Ava's shoulders. "Charming little beasts, aren't they?"

"You're turning into a huge softy on me. I never would have guessed," said Ava.

"The children make you happy, I can tell. I will tolerate them for you."

Ava and Charon wandered around Little Lamplight in amazement. A small town that was functioning and running smoothly, and its only inhabitants were children. Bumble came up to them once again, this time, with a slightly older girl in tow.

"Miss? Um…mama?" asked the older girl.

"Yes hun?" replied Ava with a smile.

"My name's Knock Knock. I was wondering, since you're from the outside, if you had any stories to tell? See, I'm in charge of morale around here, and I like keeping the little ones entertained with stories. Bumble here told me that you two looked like adventurers and we could use some new, fun stories."

"I've got a tale, if you'd like to hear it," said Ava.

"Oh! Tell us!" squealed Bumble in delight. She rushed up to Charon and raised her arms, asking to be picked up. Charon obliged and gently picked her up, placing her on one of his broad shoulders.

"I left my dull life behind to search for fame and adventure in the Wasteland," began Ava.

"Tell us more!" said Bumble excitedly.

"Be patient, little one," said Charon calmly. Bumble quieted immediately, eager to hear Ava's story.

"Charon saved my life, and we have been best friends ever since. I've even enlisted the aid of the Brotherhood of Steel in our heroic adventures. We've battled super mutants, yao guai, and raiders, all to protect my father's great work. He's found a way to make water clean again," said Ava.

"Wow! You must be pretty important for a mungo," said Knock Knock. "What else?"

"I'd tell you more, but I'm still working on how it ends," Ava explained. "I promise we'll be back when we finish everything, and tell you the ending."

"Okay! We hope you visit again- Zip! Cut that out, MacCready already said not to touch those!" said Knock Knock as she rushed over to one of the younger children to scold him.

Charon and Ava walked into another cavern with Bumble still being carried on the ghoul's shoulder. The little girl had an arm wrapped tightly around his head and she was humming quietly to herself. MacCready shouted for the little ones to get to bed, and that he would be checking in on them soon.

"Will you tuck me in? And tell me a story? Please?" asked Bumble.

Charon nodded, not sure what sort of tale he could possibly have for a six-year old girl. He saw that Ava was giving him a strange sort of smile. He would have to ask about it after they put Bumble to bed. They walked up one of the many ramps in the grand cavern and Charon allowed Bumble to hop down and race towards her bed. Charon wrapped a tattered blanket around her and pat her her head. Sitting in a chair, he leaned back and stretched his arms over his head. Ava stood behind him and began to rub the knots out of his neck with her hands. They may have been small, but they had surprising strength for someone Ava's size.

"Now, what sort of story would you like to hear? I'm new at this," said Charon.

"Something pretty!" said Bumble with a giggle.

"Great. Pretty. That is my specialty. All right…I used to live in a place where everyone looked like me. We have to remain hidden, because people from the outside are afraid of people like me. They think we are all mean. One day, I set eyes on the prettiest girl I had ever seen, and I am quite old. Guess who it was?" Charon asked Bumble. Ava blushed and she continued to work her hands.

"Oh! Oh! It was mama, right?" said Bumble excitedly.

"Yes, it was. She was one of the people from the outside, but she wasn't afraid of us. She knows we are all the same in here," he said, tapping his chest. "Ever since then, we have been best friends. Always watching out for each other, and going on many grand adventures."

Bumble smiled with sleepy eyes and Charon stood up, leaving the little one to sleep. Ava followed him and the moment they were away from any curious eyes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

"You know what I love? I love that you can gut our enemies with a butter knife out in the Wasteland or shoot them without hesitation, and when a little girl asks you to tell her a bedtime story, you oblige," she said.

"If you tell anyone I did that, I might have to kill you," he growled playfully.

"Hey mungos! Quit making out and come over here," shouted MacCready from around the corner.

"You good with computers?" asked MacCready.

"I am, why?" said Ava.

"Go talk to Joseph. There's a faster way into the Vault, but the computer for that door is busted. Maybe you two can fix it. We don't need you to die on us now," he said. He gave them directions and they met the child named Joseph in an old generator room.

"I turned on the computer for you. We can't figure out the password. Hope you can," said Joseph before leaving.

Ava hacked into computer with ease and within ten minutes, was typing the password "facility" onto the keyboard.

"Guns out?" she asked Charon. He nodded and they walked through the door, unsure of what they'd find.

* * *

The vault was crawling with super mutants. Ava was terrified that they would run out of ammo, but Charon had made every shot of his count. They crept silently through the hallways until they reached the test labs.

"This might be where it is," said Ava. She peeked into a testing chamber and recoiled in horror, falling against Charon. He held her up with one hand and quickly lifted his shotgun.

"What? What was it?" he shouted.

"Look at the body in there; what the fuck is that?" she asked, her voice slightly higher than usual.

"They must have been experimenting here. Looks like a super mutant…just worse, if that's even possible," said Charon.

"There's another one in this room. Maybe, the super mutants were made here," said Ava. They came across a physician's computer that confirmed her suspicions.

The pair walked out of the room and heard a voice shout, "You! Come here, please. Use the intercom by the window!"

Ava looked up and saw a super mutant locked inside a room. It was talking to them, and it was coherent. Ava pressed the button on the intercom and greeted it.

"It can't be! Either you are quite real, or I am going quite mad. Could you actually be a pure human?" it asked.

"A friendly super mutant. Well, now I've seen everything," said Charon.

"Ugh! Must you use that vulgar term? The name's Fawkes. You must be here for the G.E.C.K. What is your name?"

"I'm Ava and that's Charon. What do you know about it?" she asked.

"I know what it is, I know where it is, and best of all, I know how you can get your hands on it," said Fawkes.

"Why would you help us?" she asked.

"Because you can help me. Let me out of this place. I don't know how much more I can take. Do this, and I will retrieve the G.E.C.K for you," said Fawkes. Ava hacked into the computer by Fawkes' door but it would not unlock.

"There should be a maintanence room on this level, we can open it from there," said Charon. In a matter of minutes Fawkes was strolling out of her room.

"Finally…FREEDOM! True freedom! I cannot thank you enough for this gift. You have no idea how long I've pictured this moment in my mind…and it feels far better than I'd imagined. Now, for my part of the bargain. Follow me," said Fawkes.

Fawkes, Ava, and Charon fought off the last remaining super mutants until they reached a door, where Fawkes stopped.

"You must remain here, Ava. The radiation levels are too high in the room containing the G.E.C.K, and they will surely kill you. I will return momentarily," said Fawkes. Charon put an arm around her and smiled.

"You really like freeing us ugly types, huh? First Gob, then me, and now Fawkes," he said. Ava laughed and Fawkes entered the room.

"Here is the G.E.C.K. I am afraid this is where we now part ways. Good luck my friends," said Fawkes as she handed Ava the case. She and Charon shook hands with the super mutant and went on their way.

"We are so out of here. Hey, maybe we'll make it in time for breakfast with the kids," said Ava loudly as they walked down the corridors.

They made their way back to one of the larger rooms when something fell from the roof and bounced high into the air. Charon grabbed for Ava's wrist to stop her but the grenade exploded, knocking them both off their feet. In her haze, Ava saw Charon struggling for her but an Enclave soldier struck the side of his head with the butt of a gun. Ava wanted to scream, but nothing came out. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him. The same man that caused her father's death.

"You're sure that she's unharmed?" she heard him ask.

"Yes sir. She'll be out in a few moments. We'll secure the G.E.C.K," said the soldier. Ava had to fight to turn her head. Charon was still breathing. That was good. At least he'd make it. Her eyelids felt so heavy and she could no longer keep them open. She was out cold.


	16. To Hell And Back Again

**Thanks to FancyLadySnackCakes, XxCheshireGrinxX, and Ninth Lady for your reviews! **

* * *

Charon woke up, thrashing about in the darkness. It all came back, rushing into his head within seconds. A blue flash. Ava lying on the floor. A man in a brown coat hovering over her. An Enclave soldier taking the G.E.C.K from her hands. And then blackness. He stood abruptly and slammed his already sore head into a metal object. It was a lamp.

"Son of a bitch!" he shouted. A bright light came on and Charon saw Bumble, holding a teddy bear with reddened eyes and Mayor MacCready standing beside her. Bumble ran forward and into Charon's arms, crying quietly.

"Where the hell is Ava?" Charon shouted as he smoothed the hair on Bumble's head. "How did I get back here?"

"Easy there, pops. Lucy, that's our doctor, said you got hit pretty hard. You mungos were gone for a long fucking time so we figured we'd go look for you. I sent a scav team out and they found your ass…mom wasn't there. She wasn't anywhere. They dragged you back here and Lucy fixed you up," explained MacCready.

Charon felt bile creep up his throat and he held his hand over his mouth. The Enclave had taken Ava and he had no idea where. But it was not bile. It was panic overwhelming his body. He could not feel anything else, not even anger, because the entire situation was hopeless. He had no idea where the Enclave took Ava and he could not tell the Brotherhood of Steel what happened, because they would shoot him on sight thinking that he had something to do with it.

"Daddy, find mama! Where's mama!" wailed Bumble.

Charon face was blank and his breathing was ragged. He needed air. He couldn't tell the children that they might never see Ava again.

"I…I have to leave. Right now. Maybe I'll find something out about the people who took her. If she comes back, tell her to go to Underworld. She knows the location," he told MacCready. He handed Bumble to the girl named Lucy, who had just entered the room, and rushed out of the room. He would go to Underworld. It would be the first place Ava would go if she was alive, he was sure of it. He didn't even want to think of the other possibilities.

* * *

Ava opened her eyes and saw the man in the brown coat. She tried in vain to reach out and choke him, but she was held back by restraints and a blue force field. She wasn't wearing any of her armor or any clothing for that matter, just her bra and white shorts. For all she knew, these assholes could have done what Tobar did to her.

"Mo..motherfuck…fuckers! Fuck!" Ava shouted in irritation. She fought against the restraints again and grunted in anger when they would not give. Her eyes widened in fear when she thought of Charon. He was not in the same room as her and she hoped he wasn't taken.

"So, you're awake. It's about time. You've been out for almost a week. Completely useless. Let's keep this nice and simple. You're going to tell me the code for the purifier and you're going to tell me now," said the man in the coat.

"What the fuck is going on here? When Charon finds you, you are FUCKED. SO FUCKING FUCKED!" Ava screamed.

"I assume you're talking about that disgusting creature that was with you. He's probably dead. That area is infested with super mutants. Regardless, you have lost. The good guys won this one, and now we're just wrapping up loose ends. We've got the purifier, now we just need the code to start it. You're going to give me that code now, and save us all a lot of trouble. Maybe I'll even let you go. So how about it?"

Ava saw "Col. Autumn" stitched onto the man's coat. So that was this asshole's name.

"Fuck you. I'm not telling you shit," said Ava furiously.

"I'll be honest. I don't have much patience, and I'm not lookin' to play games with you. You tell me that code, or it's going to cost you…" Autumn threatened.

Ava laughed loudly and said, "No, seriously. Fuck you."

"Why do you insist on provoking me? Tell me the code, NOW!" he roared.

"Colonel…I have need of you," said a voice.

"Sir, there are other pressing issues at hand," answered Colonel Autumn.

"_Now_ Colonel."

Autumn gave Ava a fierce look before walking out the cell door. Ava struggled against the restraints again, and she could feel her skin bruising from all the force she was using.

"Ah. Alone at last. I do apologize for Colonel Autumn's attitude, he's been under a lot of stress lately. I have no doubt that you know who I am and have heard my radio broadcasts. Meet me in my office. I'll unlock your restraints and the door. Your things are in the locker inside the room. We have important things to discuss. Please, don't tarry," said the voice of President Eden.

Ava was freed immediately and she tore the I.V. from her arm. She raced toward the locker, eager for her armor and guns. She was livid and she would kill every fucker in this shit hole. Ava didn't want to be nice. Not anymore. She put on on her combat armor, strapped her Chinese assault rifle to her back and held her .44 Magnum tightly in her hands. Everyone here would die. Every. Single. One. She walked out of her cell and was confronted by a patrolling guard.

"You're supposed to stay in there!" he shouted. Ava's smile was deadly and it made the guard take a step back.

"Get out of my way," she said flatly before shooting him.

The bullet exited out the back of his head, leaving a bloody splatter on the wall behind him. Another guard clad in power armor came behind Ava and she swiftly pressed the gun against his cheek and pulled the trigger again. He fell to the ground by her feet and she sauntered through the corridor, shooting every single Enclave soldier she could find. Ava didn't even care when she heard Colonel Autumn come over the PA system and ordered the soldiers to "shoot the prisoner from Vault 101 on sight." One soldier even came at her with a Ripper. How fucking pathetic. She cleared out every single level, hell bent on showing the Enclave that you do NOT fuck with the Vault Girl. Charon would be proud of her.

* * *

Drunk would not even begin to describe Charon the last few days that he had spent at Underworld. Unconscious was more like it. He had spent the last day in the infirmary and he wasn't really listening when Dr. Barrows chastised him about the "dangers of alcohol poisoning" and other crap he didn't care about. Instead, Charon dragged his tired limbs up the stairs back to Carol's place and demanded another beer. He sat at the same table where Ava had freed him and replayed every moment they'd spent together in his head over and over again.

Within hours, empty beer and whiskey bottles had littered the ground by his boots and he was slouched over the table. His Smoothskin was gone. How could he possibly explain that to the children of Little Lamplight? How was the purifier going to be fixed now? It all seemed so bleak and hopeless without Ava by his side. He would lie in bed at night at stare at the cracks in the ceiling and ignored anyone who tried to speak with him during the day. Charon blamed himself for her kidnapping. He should have been in front of her. Maybe it would have given her enough time to hide if only he had been injured from the grenade.

Carol sat in the empty chair across from Charon and frowned. Charon, in a drunken stupor, had confessed to her everything that had happened between him and Ava a few nights ago. Carol had no idea that Charon could care for anyone yet there he sat, drunk once again with his eyes staring blankly at the wall, thinking of his Smoothskin as he would so lovingly called her. Carol would not have believed it had she not heard it for herself.

"Carol?" Charon slurred.

"Yes dear?" she answered, her voice calm and soothing.

"Ava's dead, isn't she?" he croaked. Just saying those words made him want to put a gun in his mouth. He had contemplated it but immediately thought of the kids at Little Lamplight. Ava would want him to stay alive, at least for their sake. Damn kids.

"We don't know for sure. Don't say that," said Carol. Charon didn't say another word. Life without his girl wasn't much of a life at all, and it had only been about a week.

* * *

Ava walked into a room on the second level of the Enclave base and saw a familiar face. It was Anna Holt, a scientist that was working with that bitch, Doctor Li. Ava never liked either of them, and suspected that Doctor Li had an affair with her father at some point. The way she talked about him…the way both women talked about him…it caused Ava to rage inside.

"What are you doing here?" Anna asked in shock.

"Me? What the fuck are you doing here?" Ava asked. The woman looked uneasy as she stared at Ava. Her face was slowly losing its color.

"They…they captured me. Brought me back from Project Purity. I didn't want to help them at first…but their technology is so advanced compared to anything I've ever worked with," she said.

"You're helping them," Ava said quietly. "You're fucking helping them? Then you get to die like them." Ava pulled the trigger and the room was colored red. Ava shot Holt's dead body and punched the corpse in anger.

"You fucking bitch! How could you do this to me? To my father!" Ava screamed as she continued to punch the body. Blood covered her arms and face, but she didn't care.

Ava exhaled loudly and stood up. She tore a blanket from the nearby bed and wiped herself as clean as she could. The rich, coppery smell of blood still lingered on her skin, but she was okay with that. Ava continued to clear out the rooms, leaving behind more than two dozen bloody corpses behind her as she walked into the control room. Two robots cleared the way for her and hiked up the winding staircase until she was face to face with a large computer.

"Ah, face to face at last. It's high time we've met," said President Eden's voice. Ava stared at the computer screen with aggravation.

"Show your face, you coward. These bullets are meant for you," Ava snarled.

"Ah, but I am right here before you!" said President Eden.

"Is this some kind of joke?" she asked. There was only a large computer screen in front of her. Surely he didn't mean…

"It is not. I am what you see before you, and the thousands of databanks underneath me," he said.

"Well, this explains why I've only heard your voice until now," she replied.

"Very astute! Many people are content with a reassuring voice of authority and never question the lack of public appearances. You, however, are not 'many people.' You are unique, and that is why I have asked you here. I think there are some things we need to discuss."

"We have nothing to talk about," she said.

"Oh, but we do! Don't you see? You wouldn't be here if you weren't important. Your country needs you!" he said.

"What are you talking about? What fucking country? Everything is destroyed, look around you! I'm sure you have ways to do so!" shouted Ava.

"That's a bit of a bleak outlook, don't you think? The United States has fallen on hard times, but it can heal. You have that power to heal within you, if you allow yourself to act."

"Hurry up and get to the fucking point!" she said. Fucking robots, she hated them all.

"The _point_ is, that we are hampered at every turn by a world gone wrong. So called 'super mutants', ghouls, horrific creatures…these mutations must be cleansed…eradicated. I believe your father's work could do that quickly," explained Eden.

"The love of my life _is_ a ghoul, Eden! I won't do it! And I won't allow you to do it either!" Ava shouted, pounding her fist on the machine.

"You must understand! We need to clear the way for humanity to rebuild the Wastes!" said President Eden.

"You can't be president. You're an abortion of science…and you need to die," Ava whispered coldly.

"Really?" said Eden, amused. "Do go on."

"You aren't programmed for self-awareness," stated Ava.

"This is quite true. The process was certainly unintended, but shouldn't we all be thankful that I'm here now?" he asked.

"But how do you know that what you're doing is right?" Ava knew exactly where she was going with this. The computer had no chance.

"Because unlike humans, I am infallible!"

"And how do you know you're infallible?" she pressed.

"…Because I've been programmed to be of course!"

Bingo.

"That's circular logic. You know because you know? That doesn't make any fucking sense."

"…Processing…" It was not President Eden's voice. Ava smiled in victory. Man should always be greater than machine.

"Internal logic error detected."

"I think," began Ava, "you are delusional. And I think…the world would be much better off without you."

The computer began beeping and stated, "Resetting primary memory circuits. Please stand by."

"Perhaps…perhaps there is a problem. I am…unsure of how to proceed," said President Eden. His voice had apparently returned for a brief moment.

"Kill yourself. Destroy this base," Ava commanded.

"…Processing directive. New directive accepted. Self-destruct sequence initialized. Civilian is advised to remove hazardous FEV material and exit at once."

Ava smirked and took the vial of the modified FEV virus. She could not leave it there for someone else to find. She would have to find a way to dispose of it herself. The door opened behind and she ran through. This base was going to blow and she didn't want to be anywhere near it. Alarms began to go off and Enclave soldiers were running into the corridors. Ava saw a helicopter making an escape, and she knew it had to be Autumn. She would have to kill him another day. She ran as fast as she could, until she was outside, breathing in the fresh air. A gatling laser was being fired just outside of her exit and she hoped she could sneak past it. Ava may have escaped Raven Rock without a scratch on her, but even she couldn't survive a gatling laser. Peeking over the rock, she saw a super mutant, fighting off the remaining Enclave soldiers. It was Fawkes. The super mutant waved to Ava before disintegrating more of the Enclave soldiers with her gatling laser.

"My friend! I have found you at last! I knew you had survived, and I had hoped to assist in your rescue to repay my debt to you." As the base exploded behind Ava, Fawkes smiled and added, "It appears that you have done well for yourself!"

"Fawkes! How'd you end up here?" Ava asked.

"I saw your capture, and I followed you here," she explained.

"Where's Charon?" Ava asked. There was no one that she wanted to see more than him. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him…hell, she wanted to show him.

"He was injured when I found him, but still alive. I heard the children coming and I hid away so that they would not find me. I know they fear my kind. I thought they would have a similar reaction to your friend until one of the children called him father and threw themselves over his body. I knew he would be safe and cared for by them, so I left to find you," Fawkes explained.

"Thank you so much for your help out here. I have to go find Charon. I'm sure he's going nuts without me," said Ava. She hugged Fawkes and the super mutant returned the gesture warmly.

* * *

The children all cheered loudly when Ava returned to Little Lamplight, but she could not see her ghoul among them all. It's not like he was easy to miss. Charon had to be at least six feet tall.

"Where's your father?" she asked, blushing a bit at Charon's nickname.

"Pops said to go to Underworld. You know what he's talking about?" asked MacCready.

Ava nodded and hugged all the children again. She loved every single one of them. Someone shouted for a story and Ava laughed. There was time for at least one story. She told the children how she single-handedly fought off the Enclave at their own base and then forced the rogue computer to shut itself down and blow up the base. After eating lunch with them all, she said a tearful good bye and returned to the surface. Ava smiled to herself and began to run.

She ran through miles of Wasteland and tunnels. Ava never wanted to stop running until she found him and she had made it to the tunnel just outside the Mall in a matter of only a few hours. She stopped running just long enough to shoot a super mutant master and bring him to his knees. Ava leapt onto his shoulder, pressed the end of her magnum to its head and pulled the trigger as she pushed off. Nothing would get in her way. She ran past feral ghouls, dodging their vicious bites and dropped a frag grenade at her feet before the gates open. The explosion rocked the ground behind her as she slammed the gates closed. The Mall had never looked better to Ava and she cheered as loud as she could.

* * *

Willow patrolled the entrance to Underworld as usual. She heard a voice cheering from the tunnel's entrance and perked up. She saw Ava strutting up the steps, lobbing grenades into the center of the Mall and heard her whoop loudly.

"Holy…" muttered Willow as she pulled open the heavy doors of the museum. Her luck was good today, because she had caught Greta on her smoke break.

"Greta! Ava's back! She's alive!" shouted Willow.

Greta's cigarette fell to floor and she hurried into Underworld, shouting for Carol. The older ghoul woman burst out of her room, frightened by Greta's shouting. Greta leaned on the banister, breathing heavily.

"Ava's here! Tell him!" Greta yelled out.

Carol rushed over to Charon and thwacked him on the head with her dish towel. Charon opened one eye and uttered a low growl. He was hung over. He didn't want to be bothered for anything. Even if Underworld was under attack, he wouldn't give a shit.

"Get up! Get up you old fool! Ava's here!" Carol shrieked.

Charon's head snapped up and he stood abruptly, knocking the table over and scattering bottles all over the floor. He sped down the stairs, knocking other ghouls aside, and pushed his way out the doors into the rotunda. Many of Underworld's residents had filed outside, wondering what the commotion was about. There she was, running towards him. Ava threw her pack and guns aside and jumped in Charon's open arms. Her legs had wrapped around his waist and Charon's shoulders shook from laughter. Ava took his face in her hands and kissed him, feeling a fire course through her body. Charon didn't even care that everyone had just seen their reunion. Even Carol and Greta wept openly, dabbing the corners of their eyes with the hems of their dresses. Charon had his Smoothskin back and he finally felt true happiness.


	17. A Nice Day For A Right Wedding

**I've had this chapter written out for a long time. If ghoul lovin' ain't your thing, stop reading after Charon and Ava leave the party. Hee hee....**

* * *

"I missed you," Ava had whispered to him.

Ava wasted no time and dragged Charon by the hand back to Carol's place. She pushed the ghoul into the portioned "room" and onto the bed, climbing into his lap. Her hands were aching to reacquaint themselves with his arms and perhaps the rest of him…if Charon would allow her. Every time her hands would creep down into his lap or if her mouth went past his collarbone, he would stop her.

"Charon," Ava whispered softly. It made him shudder to hear Ava say his name in that manner. He had to control himself. He would _not_ pin her to the mattress and tear her shirt off. Charon wasn't even sure of what he _could_ do to her. The whole incident at Point Lookout made him worry about her mental state. He didn't want her to think he was trying to take advantage of her.

"Why do you keep stopping me?" Ava asked quietly.

"I…I'm not…" he began nervously.

"One through ten," she said quietly as she slid her hand beneath his armor.

Charon grabbed her wrist before blurting out, "Forty two! Ava, I'm not sure if this is-"

He watched as Ava pulled away and smiled sadly. He was disappointing her. He couldn't do anything right when it concerned the two of them. He was a failure at everything it seemed.

"I want to go to Rivet City before I tell Elder Lyons what happened. Shit is going down the second I inform him…speaking of information, I have something for Barrows. I can't just leave this lying around," said Ava as she pulled a small vial from her pack. She had carefully wrapped it several times in her spare clothing and held it at an arm's length. Charon reached for it, curious.

"Don't fucking touch it!" Ava shrieked loudly. Charon pulled back and looked at her in confusion. "It's a modified FEV virus. President Eden wanted me to put it inside the purifier to kill off all mutations. I couldn't leave it there at the base. I want Doc Barrows to dispose of it. He's the only one I trust to do it. Are you coming?"

Charon chuckled and said, "You are not leaving my sight anytime soon."

"What about showers?" she teased.

"I'll turn my back to you. Though I may peek, but only if I am sure you aren't looking," he said with a weak smile, gauging her reaction. Charon tensed, waiting for her to start shouting or hitting him.

"I might peek at you then. It's only fair. I, on the other hand, don't give a shit if you catch me looking," she said. Her laughter sounded at ease and not at all forced.

They walked down the steps towards Dr. Barrows' office where Ava explained what had occurred during her escape to both men. Dr. Barrows expressed his gratitude over being trusted with the virus and swore to dispose of it carefully. It would never see the light of day.

"So, why Rivet City?" asked Charon, taking Ava's hand.

"On the way here, I stopped at Gob's for a minute to buy some supplies. I realized what day it was, and I remembered I have to be in Rivet City by Sunday. This couple is getting married. I sort of…set them up, so I feel obligated to be there."

"That should be interesting. We could leave today if you wish," he said.

"I'd like that. After the wedding, we can…spend some time in the hotel room…if you'd like," said Ava. "It's…private…"

Ava could feel her face burn hotly as she watched Charon's eyes study her face. He looked deep in thought, as if he were trying to figure out if she was just toying with him.

"I hope the bed is large enough," said Charon with the faintest hint of a smirk.

"It is! Why?" Ava asked. Charon laughed at the excitement in her voice.

"Well, ever since we've been sleeping in the same bed, it's always so damn cramped. You never give me any ball room," he said before bursting out with laughter.

Ava punched him lightly in the gut and said, "Well now you'll sleep on the floor, smart ass." She rushed up the stairs to get their things, smiling widely.

"Yeah, okay. We will see how long _that_ lasts," Charon said to himself.

* * *

The people of Rivet City were very excited over Angela and Diego's wedding. These events were very uncommon and it gave the people something to rejoice over. Ava and Charon were at Flak and Shrapnel's gun shop. Charon and Flak were arguing over the price of a mini nuke. Charon insisted that he had seen better prices at other establishments. Ava touched Charon's forearm but he paid her no mind at the moment. Grateful for the distraction, Ava walked over to Bannon's clothing store.

"What sort of, uh, dresses do you have?" Ava asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Well, I have a lovely selection of-"

Bannon was nearly shouting and Ava almost knocked him over his merchandise table to silence him.

"Shhh! This is sort of a surprise!" she whispered. Bannon smiled warmly as Ava looked back at Charon and blushed.

"I have a yellow sundress that I think would fit you perfectly. Here, if you wear these heels and this hat, you'll look lovely enough to impress even the most…difficult suitors," said Bannon as he handed Ava the dress. She ran her fingers over the material of the bodice and quickly handed Bannon his caps. He wrapped up her things and she stuffed it into her pack. By the time Charon was done restocking their ammo supply, Ava was by his side once again.

Ava had rented a room at the Weatherly Hotel for that evening and the next. The room was large but for some reason, Ava and Charon seemed to be shoulder to shoulder at all times. Ava pulled the package from her pack and rammed it underneath the bed frame before Charon could see what she hid.

"You have been quiet today Ava. Something on your mind?" he asked, concerned.

_God, I hope it's not about sex. Please, anything else but sex, _Charon pleaded within his mind. Ava sat on the bed and patted the space beside her. He did not look at her as he sat down, but he did take her hand in his own.

"I don't want to keep us in the dark anymore. It feels wrong. We're not just best friends…we're together. I don't care who knows. I never did!" she said.

"The back lash you would receive…I can't stand the thought of people giving you disgusted looks or the idea of our enemies using us against each other. You know this," he said.

"I don't care, Charon! I'm not ashamed of you! You're better than every other Smoothskin and ghoul out there and I'm proud that I'm yours. Dad taught me that it was okay to love whoever you wanted. I'm not asking you to grope me in the halls or jam your tongue down my throat in public. I'm asking for something simple," explained Ava. She took a deep breath and said, "Hold my hand tomorrow. That's it."

"Maybe. We will see," he said.

Charon gave Ava a smile that her want to drag him into the bed before he walked out the door to stand watch. She crept under the blanket and felt her stomach twist up in a pleasurable knot but really hoped Charon would not goad her too badly about the dress tomorrow. If the dress didn't make him want her, she didn't know what would.

Charon explained earlier that it made him feel more secure to stand watch since they were in a place he was not familiar with. That of course, was a lie. He couldn't sleep, even if he wanted to. Thoughts of Ava lying beneath him, crying out his name. His hands on her body. He really hoped that he could push himself to take that little extra step and lose some control.

_Tomorrow_, he decided.

In the morning, Ava nearly jumped out of bed and shoved her way past Charon with the package in her arms. He stared at her, bewildered, and then decided to give his leather armor a good cleaning. It couldn't hurt to look a little decent for Ava, especially if they were going to go public. He removed the top half of his armor and sat on the bed to polish it. Twenty minutes passed rapidly and he was nearly done when he heard the door open. Charon glanced up and felt the armor slip from his hands. Ava stood in the doorway, wearing a pale yellow dress. She wrung a straw hat in her hands, and she was biting her bottom lip.

"You're…you're wearing a dress," he mumbled almost incoherently. She looked completely different. Ava was suddenly so much more feminine and delicate. Her face lacked any of the usual dirt and grime and he noticed how green her eyes were. Charon was dying to reach out for her but he couldn't move.

"Do you like it?" she asked. Charon nodded, never taking his eyes off her. Ava picked up his armor from the floor and handed it to him. He stood up, pulled it over his head, and Ava began to cinch all the straps and buckles. Charon's eyes traveled to the thin straps of her dress and he wondered how much force he'd have to use to rip them off. Ava took a step forward and she was pressed against Charon, causing him to gulp audibly.

"Thanks for coming with me. I didn't want to look awkward," she said quietly as she kissed his chin.

"With me by your side, we're the definition of awkward. You are welcome, by the way. I do not mind amusing you every once in a while," said Charon.

Ava smiled and kissed him again. The ghoul may not have been able to blush, but it didn't stop his face from burning. Ava pulled him to the door and she lifted her hand, ready to rest it on his offered arm like he has done so many times since they first met. Today, he took her hand instead.

* * *

The ceremony had begun. Ava and Charon stood behind the pews, allowing the citizens of Rivet City to enjoy the better seats. Father Clifford, the church's head priest, waited patiently until everyone was seated and Angela stood in front of Diego. Ava felt the tears coming on almost immediately, only because it was then that she realized her father would never be able to walk her down the aisle or do anything else with her. Father Clifford cleared his throat and began the ceremony. Charon put his arm around Ava's waist and pulled her a little closer to him.

"Love is a rare thing," said Father Clifford. "You find it in the rarest of places and sometimes, it is standing right before your eyes. One would be surprised by what they have found because we are all the same deep inside. We all wish for the same things. If you are all alone in this dark world, it does not have to be this way."

Charon squeezed Ava's waist so tightly that he thought he would break her. She did not wince at all. Ava pressed her face into Charon's side and hugged him. He was smitten. Completely smitten. He loved her.

"This life is short, my children, even for those with unusually long life spans. Enjoy the time you have with the ones you love most. Diego knew this, and chose to be with Angela. He knew he could not pass up the love of his life for one of the cloth. Angela never gave up on Diego either and because of her patience, their love grew and blossomed into what it is today: perfection. They are meant for each other," explained Father Clifford.

A tear fell down Ava's cheek and she felt Charon's rough fingers wipe it away quickly. The ceremony passed quickly and soon, all of the residents were filing into the hallway. Charon looked down at Ava and saw that more tears had fallen. He hated seeing her so upset. He pulled her to a corner in the hallway and stood in front of her, giving them some sort of privacy for the moment.

"Ava?" he asked quietly.

"I just miss my dad. He'll never be able to talk to me or be in my life ever again. I don't want to go to the dinner party yet. It'll hurt too much," she said. Charon held her close and suddenly an idea sparked.

"How about we have our own little party on the flight deck? Just us two…and maybe this," Charon asked as he flashed her a whiskey bottle he had in his back pocket. Ava smiled brightly, forgetting her tears, and pushed past Charon as she ran towards the stairwell.

* * *

Outside on the flight deck, the moon was soaring out of the horizon and high into the sky. The breeze was soothing on Ava's skin. Taking a swig out of the whiskey bottle, Ava stood by the edge of the deck, overlooking the water. The view helped Ava remember what she was fighting for. All of this water could someday be clean and safe. The world could be colored green once again because of her actions.

"Do you think I can take back the purifier?" she asked.

Charon bent down so he could rest his chin on her head and said, "You can. No one can stop you."

"You know, when Autumn was interrogating me at Raven Rock, I threatened him with you," she said.

The ghoul laughed and asked, "What did you say?"

"I pretty much told him, 'Oh man you're so _fucked _when Charon finds you.' He didn't like that."

"Well, when we see him, he will know why I'm choking him to death. How kind of you."

They finished the bottle of whiskey and Ava was lying on her back, staring at the night sky while Charon inspected one of the planes on the deck. "I have always been fascinated by aircraft," said Charon. Ava sat up and drunkenly pulled on his arm.

"Let's pretend we're pilots. I'll be your co-pilot!" she said. Charon helped Ava into the co-pilot's seat.

"Don't look up my skirt!" she added with a laugh. "I know you're secretly a huge pervert."

"Too late. Thank you for not wearing underwear, it was a lovely sight," he joked. Ava turned her head and glared at him.

"You looked?"

Charon was stunned. He wasn't quite sure if it was because she admitted to not wearing underwear. His face suddenly felt a hundred degrees hotter.

"I didn't…I wouldn't look unless…I swear to god I was joking," he stammered. Ava laughed and Charon let out a sigh of relief.

"I was just messing around. Get in the pilot's seat already." Charon climbed into the front seat and ran his hands over all of the different gauges and switches.

"Where is our destination this fine evening, madam?" Charon asked in the most formal voice he could muster. Ava leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Where do you want to go?" she whispered in his ear. Charon smiled as her hands traveled to his chest.

"I will go anywhere you wish, and I will follow you until I collapse," he said. Ava clambered into the front seat with Charon and climbed into his lap, nuzzling up to his neck.

"You still haven't told me where we're flying, Miss."

"Well…remember when we were on the ferry on the way to Point Lookout?"

Charon nodded. "Of course, I had jumped in after you. Nearly ruined my weapons."

"When the sun was setting, you said you had seen such a beautiful sight that everything pales in comparison. I want to go there. I want to see what could make someone like you feel that strongly," she said.

"I cannot take you there, because I wasn't talking about a place. I was referring to a woman," said Charon. Ava frowned and Charon tipped her chin up. He was laughing at her.

"I was talking about you, Ava. You never figured it out? Not too bright for a scientist's daughter, eh?" Charon asked. Ava kissed him and burst into drunken laughter. She couldn't believe that she didn't notice.

"Would you like to go back to the party downstairs?" he asked. Ava nodded happily.

He stood up and climbed down from the plane before holding his hand out to her. He took her hand and helped her down from the plane, making sure she did not harm herself. She gripped tightly to his arm while burying her face in his chest, giggling uncontrollably. Ava smiled and took three steps before tumbling over her own feet. Charon held his face in his hand, trying his best not to laugh at her expense. He helped her to her feet, laughing along with her. It came so easily now, this laughter and happiness. The last thing Charon wanted to think about was the battle with the Enclave that loomed ahead.

* * *

At the party, no one even gave their tangled hands a second glance, much to Charon's relief. Granted, most of the men are staring at Ava in her dress. Instead of feeling overprotective, Charon felt pride well up in his chest. Ava was his. He knew who she was going to spend the night with. He watched from one of the tables, smoking a cigarette as his Smoothskin danced with Flak's partner, Shrapnel. After a few dances with Shrapnel, Ava twirled over to Charon and sat in his lap.

"Let's go home my little lush. We have battle, tomorrow," said Charon as he wrapped an arm around Ava's waist. They walked up the metal stairs and towards their room. Ava was quiet the whole way back, with only an impish smile on her face. Charon opened the door to their room with one hand and closed it behind him softly. He noticed that Ava was wearing lipstick and it had smeared a bit at some point during the evening. Gently, he wiped it from the corner of her mouth and Ava blushed instantly.

"Who were you trying to look pretty for?" Charon teased.

"S…some asshole…named Charon," she mumbled. The sudden silence made Charon realize that Ava was waiting for him to do something. Say something. Charon couldn't understand what was wrong with himself. He wanted Ava more than anything. Give him a gun, a knife, and some ammo and he could take out a small army within a few hours, gutting them all for good measure. But when his lover was begging for him to take her, he couldn't move.

_Fuck, how am I supposed to initiate this? "Ava, bend over that desk and lift up your dress so I can fuck you?" Real smooth dumb ass, that'll just earn you the backhand of the fucking century, _thought Charon.

"I'm going to shower," Ava announced. She gathered a torn shirt of hers, a towel, and the bottoms to her leather armor before she raced out of the room.

Charon didn't want to touch her. That much was clear. Ava rushed over to the women's shower so she could be alone. Charon was probably disgusted with her after what happened with Tobar. She couldn't blame him. Just once, she wanted to be with someone who fucking cared about her. That's all she wanted. She slipped out of her dress and stepped past the shower curtain. Turning on the faucet, she allowed the water to completely drench her.

* * *

The ghoul sat on the bed, unsure of what the hell just occurred and it suddenly dawned on him.

"She…she thinks I don't want to touch her…because of him. FUCK!" he shouted.

Charon had to find Ava and tell her everything. He loved her, wanted to explore every little crevice on her body and make her laugh, cry, shout, scream his name, everything. He quickly walked down the hall to the showers and opened the door, peeking inside. Good. Only Ava was inside the bathroom. Her dress was on the floor and Charon gulped back his nerves. He took a deep breath and reached out, ripping the shower curtain from the railing. Ava was about to scream but his lips crushed hers, silencing her immediately. Charon stepped under the water with her, soaking his armor completely.

"Ava," he said hoarsely. His Smoothskin whimpered at the sound of her name and he pinned her to the wall. His mouth crept down the length of her neck as his rough hands roamed over her breasts and hips. Ava took one of his hands and placed it on her inner thigh, encouraging him to touch her. Her gasp frightened him for a moment, but he realized quickly that she was enjoying his touch. Ava had clumsily undone the zipper of his pants and her hand was doing really amazing things for him but he had other plans for her.

"Room. Now," Charon growled in her ear.

He fixed himself before wrapping the towel around Ava and picking her up in his arms. He marched down the hallway, his armor dripping water onto the metal, as Ava clung to his neck, kissing every bit of bare skin she could reach. They pushed past a few surprised residents and were back by their room within minutes. Charon kicked the room door open and gently placed Ava's feet on the floor before he locked the door behind him.

The way he looked at her, she would have thought she was being hunted. The look in his eyes was almost feral and he looked dangerous. Ava shivered as he took her in his arms, his hands traveling down her waist.

"You know I'm doing this because I love you, right? Stop me at any time if I frighten you. I saw that look in your eyes," he murmured into her ear.

"If you stop, I will force myself on you," said Ava with a smirk.

Charon and Ava quickly pulled at the straps on his armor and pulled it over his head. Ava pulled his shirt over his head and noticed that she could count every single abdominal muscle on him. She kissed his bare chest before Charon picked her up and sat her on the desk in the corner. Charon pulled the chair out and took a seat between her legs. Ava's face reddened immediately as Charon carefully pulled her body towards him. He lifted one long leg and put it over his shoulder. The things he did to her with his mouth…Ava never imagined anything feeling that good.

Charon had to stop himself after making Ava tremble with pleasure for the third time. Her moans were driving him insane and he couldn't truly control himself any longer. He stood up, undoing his belt and pulled his pants off before sitting in the chair once again. Ava stared at his body, admiring his muscles. Charon urged her to sit in his lap and she straddled him as he pushed into her. He sat in mild surprise, relishing the feeling of being inside her. His hands found Ava's hips and she rocked against him, slowly at first. She moved a bit faster each time until she brought Charon to the brink.

Ava loved his labored breaths more than anything. She yelped in surprise when he picked her up and pushed her onto her back in the bed as he knelt between her legs. Placing one of her legs over his shoulder once again, he pulled her into his lap and pushed himself into her, deeper than before. It wasn't long before he groaned deeply and shuddered to a stop. Ava laughed when he whistled loudly and fell onto the bed beside her.

"Holy shit," he muttered. Ava rested her head on his chest and smiled. "Did you…enjoy yourself?"

"That would be an understatement," she said.

"Good, because we're probably going to do that every chance we get from now on," he said.

"Oh, but when will we eat?" she asked dramatically.

"Silly girl, that's what sandwiches are for. I only need one hand to eat those, that way I have a free hand to grope you," said Charon.

"God, I love you," said Ava with a grin. His eyes found hers and he smiled.

"Love you too, Smoothskin. Never loved a damn thing in my life until you."


	18. Take It Back!

**Only three more chapters after this! Thanks FancyLadySnackCakes, Ninth Lady, and XxCheshireGrinxX for your reviews. **

* * *

Ava and Charon sat in Gary's Galley, enjoying a lunch of mirelurk cakes. Charon had engulfed his cakes in less than two minutes, muttering something about "needing to build his energy back up" with a peculiar smile on his face. They had spent the better part of their morning rolling around in the sheets.

"It seems I have the better stamina both on and off the battlefield," he had teased before dragging Ava into bed for a fourth time.

Ava ate wordlessly as she thought of the battle she knew was coming. There wasn't anything she could do to stop it, and she wasn't entirely sure that she and her ghoul would make it through this alive, even with her unusually good luck. It was cruel, how short their time together had been. She stabbed at her food angrily, and Charon gently put his hand on her thigh and gave it a squeeze.

"Things will be fine. It will all be over soon," Charon said quietly. Ava smiled and finished her lunch quickly.

As the pair made their way towards the Citadel, Ava frowned when she saw the Enclave had placed barriers around the purifier. They looked similar to the force field that contained her at Raven Rock and she knew they would be impossible to penetrate. Hopefully the Brotherhood had a plan to get past them, because she was at a loss. Ava raised a hand in greeting to the soldiers when they stepped into the Citadel.

"I had meant to ask you back at Dr. Barrows' office, but I am curious as to why you asked him to dispose of the virus and not the Brotherhood," Charon said quietly.

Ava looked at him in surprise. "You think I really trust these guys? There's something about them I don't like. They abandon their original mission to basically babysit the Capital Wasteland. It's admirable, but not right. They should help the people get back on their feet, not coddle them incessantly. Besides, they don't really trust me. I see it on their faces. I also don't like the way they look at you…like you're some sort of fucking abomination."

Inside of the lab, it seems as if they had intruded on a meeting of sorts.

"All I'm saying is that we shouldn't give them time to build up their defenses. We should hit them sooner, rather than later!" Ava heard Sarah Lyons say.

"We barely have the manpower to keep the Citadel fortified. We've been through this before, Sarah," said Elder Lyons.

"So we just wait until we're next on the Enclave's list? If the Lyon's Pride attacks now, we might have a chance!" said Sarah angrily.

"And if you fail? The risk is not worth the reward!" Elder Lyons said.

"I agree. Without the G.E.C.K, the Enclave does not stand a chance of starting the purifier. They will tire soon enough," said Scribe Rothchild.

Elder Lyons looked up and smiled as Ava came down the steps. His smile faltered somewhat when he set his eyes on Charon and the hand that intertwined with Ava's.

"You're back! We thought we had lost you, Ava. Were you successful in finding the G.E.C.K?" asked Elder Lyons.

"We have to get to the purifier as soon as possible," said Ava.

"Yes, we have noticed the buildup of the Enclave at the facility for the past week. What has happened?"

"The Enclave attacked us when we were retrieving the G.E.C.K. They have it now and are installing it. They don't have the activation code for the purifier though, so it's useless to them. I destroyed Raven Rock, so they're not as unified as they'd like. They're weak and we should take back the purifier right now," Ava explained.

Charon's hand tightened on Ava's and he gave her the smallest of nods. She squeezed back, acknowledging his silent encouragement.

"You are right. We don't have much time. Sarah, lead the Pride in. I do want you to have some extra firepower. Rothchild, is it ready?" asked Elder Lyons.

"What! Li and I have solved the power problems but we've only barely finished diagnostic tests! It's not ready for field tests, let alone live fire!" said Scribe Rothchild.

"Can you make it work?" Elder Lyons asked.

"Honestly? I'm not sure. But we have no choice now, do we? I'll do my best, Sir," said Rothchild.

"Then it's settled. Sarah, you lead the Pride to the purifier alongside the robot. Ava and her companion will accompany you. Secure it as quickly as you can," said Lyons.

Sarah nodded and gathered her Pride as they prepared themselves, beckoning Ava and Charon to join them.

"All right guys. I know it looks shitty but we can do this. We have the crazy vault girl and this massive tin can on our side. The robot should be able to take down those energy fields. We're providing cover fire for the robot until it breaks down the fields then we head straight into the facility. The robot will distract them while we get inside. When this is all over, we can have a nice, cold glass of water on me. Move out! Rothchild, fire this thing up!" shouted Sarah as she gathered her soldiers and led them to the bailey.

"You two, put on some power armor and meet us outside," Sarah said, pointing to Ava and Charon. One of the scribes handed them two sets of power armor and Ava nodded in appreciation. Charon stepped into the suit easily and waited as it adjusted to his body while Ava did the same. Before he placed the helmet over his head, Ava stood on the very tips of her toes and kissed him. They both locked their helmets on and followed Sarah Lyons outside to the bailey. A crane was bringing a massive robot out over the bailey and setting it just outside the Citadel.

"That is a big fucking robot," mumbled Charon in awe. Ava cringed, causing Charon to snort with laughter. He knew she hated robots and now they had the biggest robot either of them had ever seen guarding their lives.

The door to the Citadel creaked open and the pair was greeted by missiles slamming into a bridge just ahead of them. A bridge they would have to cross to get to the purifier. The explosions shook the ground beneath their feet and colored the sky with streaks of smoke.

"Charon?" said Ava, her voice a little higher than usual. The ghoul took her hand and held it tightly. "The shit has hit the fan, huh?"

"I'm afraid so, Smoothskin. Anything you want to say before we walk into hell?" he asked.

"If anything happens to me, the code to the purifier is 2-1-6," said Ava, her voice shaking. She didn't want to die today. Fear gripped her for a moment and then she remembered her father's sacrifice. He wasn't afraid to die, and she couldn't allow herself to be afraid either.

"Nothing will happen to you. I have failed you before, but not this time," Charon growled. They heard the order to move forward and the battle began.

They kept close to the robot, Liberty Prime, as they began their walk across the bridge. Missiles came from all sides it seemed, attacking the robot and the soldiers. One of the projectiles struck the group in front of Charon and Ava, killing all of the initiates instantly and sending pieces of their tattered bodies across the tarmac. The sight was grisly, but Ava had seen much worse out in the Capital Wasteland.

"Use the scope on the rifle to scout ahead!" Charon shouted. He lobbed one frag grenade and then another, throwing them beneath an Enclave helicopter. The explosion was massive and almost knocked Ava on her back. She heard her ghoul's victorious laughter and smiled as they pushed forward. Liberty Prime tore down the first barrier by shorting out the power to it, and the group continued their march.

"DEATH IS A PREFERABLE ALTERNATIVE TO COMMUNISM!" shouted the robot. Ava and Charon roared with laughter. The robot had not been used since the battle at Anchorage, it seemed. The robot continued to spew nonsense with every few steps that it took, entertaining the pair for the duration of the walk.

Ava sniped every Enclave soldier she could find through her sights. She felt the bullets bouncing her off her armor and she laughed loudly though no one could hear her except Charon. Power armor may be bulky but it was pretty useful to walk into a firefight with enemy shots having little effect. The ghoul raced ahead of her, plowing into a small group of Enclave soldiers with his shoulder. His strength while wearing the power armor had almost doubled and he enjoyed crushing the life out of the maggots who had taken Ava from him. They followed Liberty Prime through the streets, killing everything that stood in their way. At last, the facility was within sight. A helicopter flew over their heads, dropping Enclave soldiers in front of Charon, Ava and Liberty Prime. The robot focused on the helicopter, so it was up to them to drop the soldiers.

"The cars!" shouted Ava as she ducked behind a large pile of concrete. Charon nodded and popped his head over the makeshift barrier, shooting the engines of all three cars in quick succession. The cars exploded, killing the Enclave soldiers instantly.

"Where'd you learn that trick you little fiend?" Charon asked Ava. The helmet made Charon's voice sound slightly metallic.

"An abandoned car fort. Raiders are fucking stupid," she said. Charon chuckled and helped Ava to her feet. He admired her creativity when she dealt out death to her enemies.

"We're almost there. I don't know what we'll find inside," said Ava.

"Whatever we find will meet its end today," Charon answered with confidence.

They quickened their pace, catching up to Liberty Prime. They were almost to the facility's entrance; Ava could see the metal door from where she stood. Liberty Prime took out the final barrier that stood between them and that entrance, and began firing its lasers at the enemy troops.

"Hurry up and get inside!" shouted Sarah. "Prime will take care of these guys out here!" Four more helicopters landed, dropping off even more Enclave soldiers. They had to somehow get inside without being killed.

"Get on my back. I run faster than you, especially in this armor. Quickly," said Charon as he bent down, allowing Ava to climb onto his back. "Hang on tight, I'll get us to the door."

Charon held his breath and ran as fast as he could towards the door. Shots peppered the ground around him and he leapt over bodies and helicopter debris. Charon crashed through the door and Ava leapt from his back, slamming the door shut. His chest was rising and falling with his labored breaths, and he removed his helmet to get more oxygen into his lungs.

"Thank you," said Ava quietly. Charon nodded and pulled out his shotgun.

"Come on, I want to kill some more of these bastards," he said darkly.

Ava walked down the corridor and peeked around the corner. She looked back at Charon and held up seven fingers. He nodded once more and handed Ava his last frag grenade. She pulled the pin with her teeth and tossed it into the room. The moment it exploded, Ava and Charon made their move. They shot at anything they could see moving through the dust, and the screams of dying Enclave soldiers filled the air.

"Bring it!" Ava heard Charon scream. Ava head butted a soldier, cracking her helmet, and shot him in the chest. Another soldier came from around the corner and Charon made a clean shot through his skull.

"Nice shot!" she shouted. They were so close now, only a few more soldiers to kill and she'd have the purifier once again. She pulled off her now useless helmet and tossed it to the floor. She saw Charon applying a stimpak to a small wound on his calf and was relieved to see that it was his only injury.

Ava opened the door to the purifier and was face to face with Colonel Autumn and two soldiers holding gatling lasers.

"Colonel Autumn," said Ava loudly. This asshole would not leave this room alive. She noticed Charon bristle with fury when he saw the man in the brown coat. He wanted nothing more than to kill the man who tried to take Ava away from him. How dare he…

"So nice of you to join us, though I'm not surprised. You seem hell bent on destroying everything our government has hoped to achieve. Let's end this," said Colonel Autumn.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you," snarled Charon, never taking his eyes off Autumn. He rushed forward and cracked his shotgun against Autumn's face while Ava and Sarah handled the two soldiers. Charon kicked away Colonel Autumn's gun and laughed as the man tried to crawl away.

"You should have never taken my girl," Charon said viciously as he stepped on Autumn's back. The man screamed as the ghoul put his full weight onto his back. Charon kicked him over and crushed Autumn's throat with his boot. The other soldiers lay dead on the floor and he picked up Ava in his arms, kissing her passionately.

"It is done," he said. "Now we can go home, have a good meal, and possibly rip your bedsheets to shreds."

"I couldn't have done this without you," said Ava. The intercom came to life and Ava heard Dr. Li's frantic voice.

"Is anyone there? Damn it, someone answer me!" shouted Dr. Li.

Ava pushed the button on the intercom and said, "What's wrong now? Autumn is dead." She was seriously getting annoyed by Dr. Li always trying to give her orders.

"There's pressure building up in the holding tanks! It needs to be released now or the whole facility will explode! To release the pressure, you must turn on the purifier, you understand me? It needs to be turned on now! The radiation levels inside the chamber have reached lethal levels. I'm sorry, but there's no other choice, we need to start it now!" said Dr. Li. Ava's face had turned white.

"That's just great," said Sarah bitterly. She turned to Ava and added, "Whoever goes in there is not coming out. Should you and I draw straws?"

Charon's heart almost dropped. For a moment, he was terrified but radiation? He could handle that. No one would have to get hurt. If anything, it would heal any injuries he had. Ava already told him the code, and knowing her, she would try to do something noble like start the purifier herself when he was perfectly capable of doing it himself. Ava covered her face with her hand in agitation and Charon slipped past her, pressing the airlock button before stepping behind the glass door.

Ava was at a loss for words. After all this, there really was no choice. She would give her life and start the purifier, just like her father. It was an honorable thing to do, really. Water would be clean and the Wasteland would grow. She blinked back tears and turned to face Charon, but he was not behind her. Ava saw the glass door closing and Charon was behind it. She ran up to the glass, slamming her fists and screaming.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Ava screamed.

"Starting the purifier. The radiation won't kill me, remember?" he said, pointing to the skin on his face. "Everything will be fine, Ava. This will be over in a second and we can live our lives, together. I love you, Smoothskin. I'm doing this for you."

Ava nodded and smiled at her ghoul as tears wet her cheeks. Sarah stood beside her and raised an eyebrow.

"So, you and the ghoul, huh? He must be nuts about you if he's willing to do this," said Sarah.

"You have anyone?" Ava asked. Sarah laughed and shook her head.

"No, but if this works, I'm marching right up to Gallows and I'm going to kiss him," Sarah admitted.

Charon punched in the activation code and strolled over to the glass. He was happy that he could do this for her. The ground began to shake, and judging the look on Ava's face, that was not a good thing. The center of the purifier began to glow and the ground shook even more.

"Ava! Get out of here!" Charon shouted. Ava didn't listen and desperately tried to open the airlock instead. The controls didn't respond and Ava hit it with her fists.

"I'm not leaving without you!" she screamed.

"Lyons, get my Smoothskin out of here! Forget about me!"

The rumbling became stronger and Sarah wrapped her arms around Ava's waist, trying to drag her away. Ava fought and screamed with all her strength. She already lost her father to the damn purifier and she refused to lose Charon as well.

"No! I won't leave you. I won't!" Ava shrieked as she pushed Sarah away. She felt a warm prickling on her cheeks. The radiation was seeping into the chamber. This is how it would end. Maybe they had activated the purifier too late and it was about to explode. At least Charon didn't have to watch her die a slow and painful death from radiation poisoning.

The center of the purifier glowed even brighter. Charon grabbed his shotgun and shot at the glass. The glass cracked but did not shatter. Charon swore under his breath, aimed once again, and pulled the trigger but he was out of bullets. He swore loudly this time and struck the weakened glass with the shotgun. If he didn't get out of here, Ava would die. He had to hurry. The core erupted with a flash of light and they were all knocked out. The last thing Ava heard was Charon screaming her name with fear in his voice.


	19. Death From Above

**Thanks for your reviews! I'm happy when you're happy! :)**

* * *

"_I told you, we're not sure when she'll awaken! She's lucky to be alive!"_

"_If she doesn't wake up, I swear to god-"_

"_Calm yourself! We have done all we could, we must wait now. You may stay in the room with her. She might be disoriented when she wakes up and it may be best if she is with you. You know where to find me."_

"_Fuck…Smoothskin, I don't know if you can hear me at all but damn it, you can't leave me. If you die, I'll die, so you need to wake up. For me. For…us. _

_

* * *

_Ava sat up, gasping for air. Her lungs burned and her eyes slowly adjusted to the bright light in the room. She flailed her arms, desperate to get a feel for her surroundings.

"Careful now! Careful! You're safe Ava, you're inside the Citadel," she heard someone say. Ava tried to stand up, pulling the various tubes from her arms. "Someone get him in here!"

Ava's vision was still blurred when she saw a large figure come up to her and pin her arms to her side. She yelped in fright and tried to pull away.

"No one's going to hurt you. I'm here," Charon whispered in her ear. He wrapped his arms around Ava tightly and she cried into his chest. He had never felt so relieved. Seeing Ava on the bed, watching the doctors put tubes into her body, it all made him feel sick and helpless. He spent endless days watching her heartbeats on the monitor, refusing to leave her side. It was pure torment.

"What happened? How did I get here?" Ava asked.

"You and Sarah were both brought back to the Citadel by the ghoul. There was some kind of energy spike back in the purifier. It shattered the glass, exposing the pair of you to the radiation and you were knocked unconscious. Thankfully, he was able to get the pair of you out before too much damage was done," explained the voice that Ava now recognized as Elder Lyons'.

"How long was I out?"

"About two weeks," said Charon, stroking the side of her face.

"The purifier! Did it work?" she asked.

"Indeed. The Tidal Basin is now full of fresh, clean water now. We've been working to ensure it is distributed to as many people as possible across the Wasteland. None of this would have been possible without you or your father. I doubt we shall ever be able to repay you," explained Lyons.

Ava's eyes finally adjusted and she looked into Charon's face, recoiling with complete horror. "Charon! What happened to your eye?" His right eye was covered by a black eye patch and Ava reached up to cradle his face in her hands. She reached up and lifted the patch. Charon flinched, afraid of what she might think of him now. The sutures were still a bit inflamed where his eyelids were sewn shut. It would leave a thick scar that would surely be noticeable even on his leathery hide.

The ghoul laughed nervously and said, "Shrapnel. The glass shattered and I got a huge shard right in there. Doctors tried to save it but the damage was too bad. It's all right though. I think I look much more formidable to my enemies now, not to mention, bad ass. Just need to practice my shooting now."

Ava looked at Elder Lyons and gave him a sincere smile. "Thank you for patching us up. I'm out of here."

"I'm wondering," said Elder Lyons as he stepped into the doorway, "if you might be willing to aid us a bit further.

"Ava has done enough. We are going home now, Lyons," Charon growled. He helped Ava to her feet and wrapped his arm around her waist securely. They could rest at Gob's for a few more days and then head back to Tenpenny Tower for some much needed rest.

"The Enclave threat hasn't been removed yet," said Lyons suddenly. Ava looked up, her eyes squinting with hatred at the sound of the word "Enclave."

"What can I do to crush them for sure?" she asked. Charon sighed with irritation. Lyons had pulled the Enclave card, knowing Ava would do whatever she asked. He hated the Enclave as much as everyone else. They had taken his Smoothskin from him by force and they deserved to be destroyed for that alone, but Ava had just woken up moments ago and now Lyons wanted to send her off on another impossible quest. These…humans…did not give a shit about Ava's well being.

"I am making you a Knight of the Brotherhood of Steel, for starters. Go and speak with Scribe Rothchild, I'm sure he'll be happy to see you. He'll bring you up to date on the things that have been going on, and also provide details about what you can do to aid us."

Ava leaned on Charon's arm and laughed as he helped her from the room. Scribe Rothchild was never happy to see her, Lyons must be senile. The feeling was mutual, of course.

"You don't have to do this," Charon said, annoyed.

"Do what?"

"Be their puppet, Ava! They will find someone else to do this; it does not have to be you!" Charon whispered with anger. He wanted to shake her and make her see that she did not always have to play the hero.

Ava bore her eyes into him and the ghoul turned away uncomfortably. "The Enclave killed my father. I will not feel better until I have leveled them. Besides, you know they'll come after me. I blew up their base, and I killed President Eden. _You_ killed Autumn. We're both fucked. We can't live in peace until they're gone, and you know it. I will not hide like a fucking coward," said Ava.

Charon nodded in defeat. Damn it, she was right.

"It is settled then. Give me a day or so to practice my aim, and then we can give them hell," he said.

"Don't act like this is torture for you…you _like_ the fighting. I see the look on your face when you're killing them. I feel the same way. Nothing compares to the feeling I get when I snuff out an evil man's life," said Ava.

Charon smiled as he gathered her in his arms and asked, "Nothing?"

"Hmm…maybe a few things do. But it still feels so damn good. Go outside and start practicing. I'll spare you Rothchild's torment."

"You are too good to me Smoothskin," he answered, his voice almost a purr. Charon's hand slid down her waist and he squeezed her hip. With a kiss on her forehead, he was out the corridor.

Ava found Rothchild inside the Citadel's lab. He looked tired and much older since she had last seen him, and it had only been about two weeks. The old scribe grimaced as she walked up to him. Of course, he was not happy to see her.

"I see you left your ghoul behind. Is Lyons throwing you to the wolves already? Tell me, what do you know?" asked Rothchild.

"All I know is that you need my help. Again." _You crotchety old asshole. _

"It would seem that way, yes. Come over to the map," he said, leading Ava to the large map of the Capital Wasteland.

"There are other Enclave facilities. We have isolated one, an old military installation near Rockland. Paladin Tristan is leading a team to the site here, to create an entry point. You are to accompany him and destroy their transmitter to cease their communications. Any questions?"

"My pip-boy says Rockland car tunnel. That's where I should meet him?"

"Yes. I'll inform him that you're on your way," stated Rothchild.

"Gotcha. I'll head over that way after I stop at Tenpenny tower," said Ava.

Outside, Charon was relieved to see that his shooting was just as good as it had ever been. The initiates had given him more than enough room when he stepped up to the range and most watched him in awe. He had set up a row of glass bottles and then walked clear across the bailey. The ghoul shouldered Ava's Victory Rifle and shattered every single bottle without any trouble. He had already gotten used to his single eye, thankfully. The initiates cheered loudly but were silenced with a glare from Gunny.

"Okay, so maybe you are the best shot in the Capital Wasteland. Even with one eye," sang a lovely voice behind him.

"Took you long enough to admit it. I had to lose a fuckin' eye," he answered.

"Are you up for another mission? It involves us blowing shit up and pissing off the Enclave. We could also make a little stop at home because two weeks without you is too long for me, even if I was out for the whole time," said Ava.

"Ravishing you on a massive bed underneath a lesbian lamp _and_ killing Enclave soldiers? You really know how to make a man's day, Ava."

* * *

Ava and Charon headed up the road to the Rockland car tunnel just as the sun was falling below the horizon. Charon had not been able to stop laughing since they had left Tenpenny Tower earlier that day.

"You're still walking funny," he commented.

Charon looked behind them for a brief moment and continued on, amused by Ava's awkward gait. He could have been gentle with her. He had thought about it. Those thoughts immediately vanished the moment Ava had shoved him into their room at the Tower, shed her clothes, and basically attacked him with her mouth and hands. They had found a way to screw on every flat surface in the suite. The bobble head display stand had been his favorite. The thought of the bobble heads shaking with every thrust he had made caused him to laugh loudly.

"Yeah thanks, Captain Obvious. We're not doing _that_ again."

Charon chuckled loudly and said, "Maybe you shouldn't have such strange requests. You know I won't say no. Perhaps after a few more tries, it won't be uncomfor-"

Ava shushed him loudly. Hopefully the guard outside of the tunnel didn't just overhear their conversation. The whole Wasteland did not need to know about their bedroom habits.

"Paladin Tristan is waiting for you inside, ma'am. Just follow the corridor," said the guard with a salute.

Inside, Ava found Paladin Tristan fixing a turret. All of the knights seemed uneasy inside the tunnel. There was lots of fallen concrete and other debris scattered amongst the tunnel. Dust hung in the air, causing Ava to cough a few times and catching Paladin Tristan's attention.

"Well well! Look who's on her feet again! Some of us were starting to wonder if you and Sarah would pull through," said the Paladin.

"Lyons said you need help. Again. So here I am. Again."

"Yes well…Intel says that the base on the other side of this tunnel is some sort of communication hub for the Enclave. The hope is that if we can crush them here, we'll finally break their spirit," he explained.

"Charon and I are ready to go. We should hurry, he's been anxious," said Ava. It was no exaggeration. Charon seemed unusually jumpy since they had left the Citadel. He was expecting to be ambushed by the Enclave at every turn.

"All right, you two keep back with me. We let the tin can do most of the work. Let's move," ordered Paladin Tristan.

They followed the paladin outside where another of the Enclave's huge barriers blocked their path. Most of the Brotherhood of Steel knights were engaged in battle as Liberty Prime lumbered up to the barrier and brought it down with ease. Charon and Ava walked casually down the slope, and Ava snickered at the robot's humorous battle cries.

"PROBABLITY OF A CHINESE VICTORY: IMPOSSIBLE," shouted Ava, mocking the robot.

Liberty Prime pulled one of its propane tank grenades and threw it into the building. The explosion lit up the night, as well as the various green plasma shots from the Enclave soldiers.

"Shit, I didn't think it would be this easy," said Ava.

She looked up and saw that all the satellite dishes began to move at once. She tugged on Charon's arm and pointed up.

"That can't possibly be good," said Charon.

"WARNING! CHINESE ORBITAL STRIKE IMMINENT. ALL PERSONNEL SHOULD REACH MINIMUM SAFE DISTANCE IMMEDIATELY," Liberty Prime announced.

"Oh shit! Move! Move!" shouted Paladin Tristan. Charon and Ava turned and ran as fast as they could.

"What's happening?" Ava shouted.

There was a thundering explosion around Liberty Prime and it was as bright as daylight. Ava had to shield her eyes from the blast. When the dust cleared, Liberty Prime's torso was crawling in their direction.

"CA-TOS-ROPHIC F-FAI-LURE. I-INITIALIZING CO-RE SHUT-DOWN," sputtered the robot before its head fell off. Ava covered her mouth in surprise. What the hell sort of weaponry did the Enclave have?

Paladin Tristan rushed up to Ava and said, "I don't know what the hell just happened but get your ass inside the base and help the soldiers find the source of their transmissions! Now!"

"Shotguns," Charon said quietly. Ava gladly pulled out her new shotgun, deemed the "Terrible Shotgun" by her ghoul. He had brought it to her as a present the previous day. When asked where he found such a heavily modified shotgun that rivaled his own, Charon simply shrugged with a proud smile.

Charon and Ava ran into the satellite facility alongside a group of Brotherhood of Steel knights and immediately met several Enclave soldiers. Ava shot the man closest to her with a single shot, and slammed him into the wall with the bullet's sheer force.

"Hoooly shit! Where DID you find this?" she asked incredulously.

"Proud to know you can handle it," said Charon.

"I can handle anything you give me," she said with a smirk.

"That wasn't the case earlier today, Smoothskin."

Charon had to duck to avoid Ava's ferocious backhand and the ghoul laughed darkly. "Can't help it Ava, you always seem to walk right into those."

"Shut up!" she snapped.

"Put the light on, would you? Can't see shit in here," Charon said.

Ava pressed a button on her pip-boy and they continued through the corridors, following Tristan's men. One of the knights opened a door and Charon raced ahead, with Ava trying her best to keep up. Charon had made it up a flight of stairs before any of them and there were sounds of a brief struggle before a body of an Enclave soldier fell down to Ava's feet. At the top of the stairwell, she watched Charon cut the throat of another Enclave soldier. The blood left a streak of red across the wall beside the dead soldier. The group rounded another corner and an Enclave soldier carrying a gatling laser strolled out of the room. Ava aimed for his arm, knowing he could not hold such a bulky weapon with just one hand. Her shotgun blast tore his arm off at the shoulder and she rammed him into the wall, knocking the weapon from his one good hand. One of the initiates standing behind Ava finished him off. The young initiate appeared shaken at her ruthlessness with her enemies.

The small group came to another flight of stairs. Charon leaned over the railing and began to shoot at the Enclave soldiers on the lower levels.

"Light 'em up!" Charon shouted.

Ava shoved the initiate forward, encouraging him to take the easy shots from the top of the stairs. They ran down one more corridor and one more flight of stairs before reaching the communications room that was heavily guarded. Charon and Ava both tossed grenades into the room, killing off most of the Enclave soldiers and severely injuring others. Ava opened the door, walked down a short hallway and found what she believed was the mainframe terminal. She quickly pulled up the encrypted codes from the terminal and uploaded them to her pip-boy.

"Damn it, I can't sever the uplink!" said Ava loudly.

"Come on, we have to get out of here. This place is not safe," Charon muttered. Reinforements would most certainly be coming after this attack. There were very few Brotherhood of Steel knights left, and they could be overwhelmed.

"Tristan, I'm taking these codes to Scribe Rothchild immediately," Ava said. The paladin saluted her and escorted the pair to the outside.

* * *

Ava had to struggle to keep herself from flipping out on Scribe Rothchild. He kept going on and on about the now wasted years spent on rebuilding Liberty Prime and she swore that he was trying to blame her in a way. She wasn't there to listen to him rant; she was there to give him the encrypted codes. Ava pointed out that the Enclave could have attacked the Citadel and destroyed it with that sort of firepower.

"Well there's nothing to stop them from doing it now, is there? With our primary defense gone, I don't know what to do!" shouted Rothchild.

"Maybe you can focus on analyzing this data instead of crying over your god damn robot," said Ava. These Brotherhood types were really driving her up the wall. Charon shifted his weight from foot to foot, waiting for Scribe Rothchild to say something that would allow him to punch the old bastard in the face.

"Well! I-" began Rothchild.

"Here's your data, have fun with that. My man and I are starving so please excuse us," said Ava. She uploaded the data onto his terminal and bolted from the room with Charon following close behind her.

"I hate that man," said Charon gruffly. They both noticed Paladin Tristan waving for them to walk over as he stood by the debriefing room.

"I have a special mission for you two, but you must keep it to yourselves, all right?" said the paladin in a hushed voice. Both Ava and Charon grinned widely, already accepting the mission in their thoughts before Paladin Tristan could explain. They could not wait to do what they do best.


	20. Shock Value

**SORRY SORRY SORRY! I know I took forever putting this up. I've been very busy with work (Manager training. Yay?) and my novel. I finally have a few days off so the last chapter of the story will be up soon. I hope...**

**I also posted a one-shot with Ava & Charon visiting Little Lamplight again since some of you really enjoyed the time they spent there before. Enjoy! **

**Also: I love all comments, including contructive criticism, so go for it! I already hope to improve my characters and writing in the sequel using the advice that has been given to me. Thanks!  
**

* * *

The Brotherhood of Steel knights had given Paladin Tristan, Ava, and Charon a wide berth in the hallway. No one wanted to stand too close to the ghoul or Ava, for that matter. Charon had growled anytime someone came too close to his Smoothskin when she was unconscious, so most of the knights knew better than to give her a second glance.

With a deep breath, Paladin Tristan explained the upcoming mission. "That was some nice work back there, ma'am. You two are damn good, so this assignment is well-suited for you."

"Any job you've got, we can handle," said Ava with confidence. Ever since she had met the members of the Brotherhood, with their pompous soldiers and their 'I'm better than you because I wear this power armor' attitude, Ava was determined to show them that even a kid from a vault could do some serious damage and get the job done.

"I hope so. The scientists are developing a new weapon that can help against the Enclave's vertibirds. What we need to further develop it may be located in Olney Powerworks," he said.

"Olney Powerworks? What's there?" asked Ava.

"Hopefully you'll be able to find a Tesla Coil, an experimental device from before the war. With it, we can finish the little surprise we have planned for the Enclave."

"Olney is a fucking death trap. It's swarming with Deathclaws," Charon hissed. "I hope you plan on giving us some aid."

Paladin Tristan grimaced but nodded his head and replied, "Check in with Scribe Vallincourt. She's been working on something that may help you."

Ava and Charon headed back to the lab and found the Scribe in her room, eating a sandwich and typing away on an aging computer. She looked completely exhausted and overworked, just like every other scribe that resided inside the Citadel.

"Hey, I heard you can help us get into Old Olney," said Ava.

"Well, maybe. I think so, but I'm not certain," said the Scribe. She began to rummage through her desk and pulled out a small, metal remote with three colored knobs and a row of various buttons.

"Oh great, we're going to get killed," muttered Charon. He wondered if any members of the Brotherhood were confident in their research or anything else. It always seemed like they were just pulling things out of their ass and going along with it.

"It just hasn't been field tested yet so I'm not sure if it will work. I think I have found a way to override the signals the Enclave uses to control their Deathclaws. Here, take this scrambler. As long as you're within range of the Enclave transmitter, the Deathclaws shouldn't attack you."

"Uh, thanks? Here's to hoping I don't get my face clawed off," said Ava as she and Charon left the scribe's room.

"That makes two of us. If I lose this eye…well, I'd be of no use to you or anyone else if I'm blind," said Charon.

A few hours later, Charon and Ava were deep in the Capital Wasteland and Charon was still complaining about the Brotherhood of Steel. Ava didn't object to anything he was saying, because she agreed with him whole heartedly.

"_We haven't done field tests, we have no idea what just happened, we don't know if this will work, we are lost without the robot, we're not sure if the Tesla Coil is there_. Shit, does the Brotherhood have any grasp at all on what they're doing? They're just groping around in the dark, it seems," said Charon.

"I promise you, when this is over we're not dealing with them anymore," said Ava firmly.

"I rather hope so. Have you ever seen a Deathclaw before, Ava?" asked the ghoul. It had been years since Charon had seen one himself, but he remembered their ferocity quite well. As tall as he was, the Deathclaws loomed above him and had claws the size of the ghoul's thick fingers.

"Nope. But the Enclave camp is just over that ridge over there, so I guess I will soon."

The pair snuck up to Deathclaw's cage and Ava began to pick the lock as Charon kept watch for any Enclave soldiers. She could hear the creature's heavy breaths and it smelled absolutely terrible. The Deathclaw uttered a low growl, causing Ava to drop the screwdriver in fright.

"Hurry up Smoothskin!" Charon whispered. They could both hear the guards walking towards the cage and Ava quickly undid the lock with shaky hands.

The door to the cage swung open and a massive head with two curled horns was staring directly at Ava. A blinker of some sort was attached to its face just below the horns. Charon immediately pushed his shotgun against the Deathclaw's skull but Ava held up her hand. The creature sniffed at her armor and a long, barbed tongue lolled out of its mouth. It hissed and stepped out beside Ava, standing up to its full height. The Deathclaw roared and rushed past them. It leapt over the ridge and swung its claws, gutting an Enclave officer right before their eyes. Charon grabbed the collar of Ava's armor and dragged her into the safety of the cage. The Deathclaw continued its rampage on the camp and killed every Enclave soldier it could find.

"I'm glad that thing works," said Charon.

"Yeah, me too. I thought you were huge but DAMN, that animal is gigantic," she said. The Deathclaw lumbered back towards them and pushed its head into Ava's side. She shrieked loudly and Charon pointed his gun at it once again.

"No, don't! It just startled me…it's…it's purring!" she said in shock. Cautiously, she raised her arm and began to scratch just underneath the Deathclaw's chin. The creature closed its eyes and purred loudly. Charon shook his head as it began pawing the air with its hind leg.

"It likes what you are doing," he said. Ava smiled and patted the Deathclaw's head.

"Old Olney awaits," said Ava, and they began their short walk towards the ruined town. The Deathclaw followed them, making little grunts every now and then. After walking for only a couple of minutes, Ava began to hear a beeping sound.

"You hear that too?" Charon asked.

Ava nodded and they looked around for the source of the noise. "The hell is it?"

"I believe it is coming from the device on the Deathclaw's head," he said. They took a few more steps and the beeping increased in speed. Ava and Charon heard the Deathclaw roar before it fell to the ground, dead.

"We killed it!" Ava cried. Charon looked past her and raised his shotgun.

"It was only docile because of the device. Now that fucker running towards us, that one is NOT going to purr for you!" Charon shouted. Ava turned when she heard another loud roar.

"Shit! Shit! Kill it!" Ava screamed as she scrambled for her Blackhawk. Charon began firing shots at the Deathclaw's legs, hoping to slow its charge. He ducked, claws narrowly missing the top of his head. The beast roared again and within seconds, the ghoul jammed the end of his shotgun into the Deathclaw's open mouth and pulled the trigger. Ava jumped out of the way just before the heavy body collapsed on her.

"Did it get you?" she asked, giving Charon a quick once-over.

"No. Come, let's try to find that Tesla Coil and get the hell out of here. This place is not safe."

"All right. My pip-boy says that the entrance to get below Old Olney is over there. I guess it's that manhole," said Ava.

"All that gore surrounding it gives it a nice touch, don't you think?" Charon said. He pulled the cover to the manhole aside, stuck his head through and ushered Ava through before following behind her.

"It stinks down here," said Ava quietly. Charon wrinkled what was left of the nose on his face and nodded.

Ava saw Charon walk around the corner as she peeked into a generator room. She heard struggling and turned to see Charon being thrown back by an incredible force.

"Charon!" she screamed.

"Run! There's four of them! We gotta get out of here now!" he shouted, scrambling to his feet.

Ava ran forward through the tunnel alongside Charon, the four Deathclaws giving the chase. A Super Mutant Behemoth would be a sight for sore eyes right then. They may be larger, but Deathclaws were agile and intelligent as well. The ghoul pulled a pin from a grenade with his teeth and tossed it over his shoulder. From the corner of his eye, he saw a ladder leading up to what he guessed was a building in Old Olney. The grenade exploded and shook the walls as he shoved Ava into the alcove and lifted her above his head so that she reached the very top of the ladder. He climbed up after her, a Deathclaw grazing his calf with one of its claws just before they reached the hatch at the top. Ava opened the hatch and was surprised to see two ghouls standing in front of her.

"What the…how the hell did you get in here, kid?" asked one of the ghouls.

"We need to get to Olney Powerworks. I hope we're going the right way," said Ava between breaths. Charon slammed the hatch shut and pulled a stimpak from Ava's pack. He dressed his wound quickly before Ava had a chance to notice it.

"Oh, yeah, yeah, sure thing. It's right through there. There's a few Deathclaws down here that might have other ideas for ya though, know what I'm sayin'?" he said.

"We've come too far to back down now," said Charon.

"Yeah? Well then you're stupid. There's a god damn nest down here. Take it from me, you stay here here, you're gonna die. But hey, it's your funeral right? We're getting the fuck out of here," said the other ghoul.

"There's four Deathclaws waiting at the bottom of that ladder," Charon said. "Take these grenades. Finish them off."

"Thanks. We owe ya one if we make it," said the ghoul. Charon nodded and he continued forward with Ava. They passed the bodies of two other ghouls, mauled by Deathclaws.

Down a short hallway were the bodies of two more ghouls. Ava turned her head away in sadness before walking down the steps. Just outside of the doorway at the bottom of the steps was a large hole torn through the cement wall. Ava shuddered at the thought of hearing the Deathclaws tearing through cement and she felt Charon's hand on the small of her back.

"I will protect you. If I tell you to run, you must. Understand?" he said quietly.

"I'm not leaving you, so don't even talk like that," she said.

They heard a growl beyond the hole in the wall and a ghoul's body was thrown down the incline with great force. Ava yelped loudly as the body rolled to her feet.

"It's coming!" Charon shouted. He stood beside Ava and unloaded twelve shotgun blasts at the beast that charged towards them. Ava aimed for the Deathclaw's head and fired off an entire clip as well. It crashed into the ground just before it could reach them.

"They're not happy that we've invaded their nest," said Charon. Ava frowned and they continued forward into the ruins of a hospital. "Make sure you reload."

"I know what the hell I'm doing!" Ava said harshly.

Charon poked around the debris, looking for any useful supplies such as stimpaks and med-x while Ava did the same. Neither of them were too eager to walk deeper into the Deathclaw's nest. Charon helped Ava get to the bottom of a jagged hole in the floor by holding her hands tightly and lowering her so that the drop was not so bad. He hopped down after her, crushing plaster beneath his boots. Down in the basement was a barricade with skeletons littering the area. There was yet another breach in the wall and a few frag mines were still set up in front of the hole. Ahead, Ava and Charon could see three massive Deathclaws walking about, snapping their jaws at each other.

"Do your thing, Smoothskin," said Charon with a smirk. He held out Ava's Victory Rifle and she grinned widely. She carefully set up the shot and began to slow her breathing. Two of the Deathclaws stood side by side and Ava immediately took the shot, killing them both with a single bullet through their heads.

"Remind me not to ever piss you off," Charon muttered. The third Deathclaw ran straight for them and Ava waited until the last possible moment to take her shot. The Deathclaw stumbled and Charon finished it off with his shotgun.

Whenever they saw a clutch of Deathclaw eggs, Charon would toss a grenade towards it or Ava would stomp on them gleefully. They walked through the basement, going the only way that was available to them until they reached the Old Olney S. Wilson building.

"The Powerworks must be nearby. I just hope we don't have to deal with more Deathclaws," said Ava. Charon opened the door and heard the whir of helicopter blades.

"I think you got your wish. Instead of Deathclaws, we have other company," he said as he peeked around the corner.

"Who is it?"

"Enclave of course. They fuck everything up for us," he growled.

"You know, this is why we can't have nice things," said Ava.

"Because of the Enclave?"

"Yep. Talon Company too, those fuckers. One day we'll have to wipe out those assholes too."

"Enclave first. Let's hope they haven't found the coil yet."

"If they took it, I'll hunt them down like animals and tear it from their cold, dead hands," said Ava with a snarl. Charon raised his eyebrows at her ferocity and they ran out from their cover. Five Enclave soldiers were patrolling the ruins and were immediately taken by surprise as Ava snapped one soldier's neck. She stuck a live grenade down another soldier's pants and shoved him to the floor below them. The grenade exploded and Ava heard Charon laugh behind her.

"Exploding pants? Such a nice touch," he said while killing the last three soldiers.

"You know me, I have a flair for dramatics," said Ava.

Charon walked across a fallen billboard for Galaxy News Radio and motioned for Ava to follow. "If it can hold my weight, you can cross safely."

Ava found a door with the faded words "Olney Powerworks" embossed on a plate underneath the window. If they were lucky, the Tesla coil would be inside somewhere. She opened the door and heard the loud crackling of electricity.

"We're not going to like this at all, are we?" Charon asked.

"Not in the least. Does that…shock you?" she asked with a stupid smile.

"Worst joke ever, Smoothskin."

"Yeah, well, you're not funny either so you can just go fuck yourself."

"I'd much rather you do it," he replied, his hand sliding down her hip. She slapped his hand away and the ghoul laughed.

The building was filled with Sentry Bots, all easily dispatched with a toss of a pulse grenade. As they walked into a hallway, Charon felt the familiar prickling of radiation in the air. Ava immediately felt ill and she checked her pip-boy. The radiation levels were already at 175 rads per second. She gasped for air as the radiation began to overwhelm her system. Charon threw her over his shoulder and got her out of the hallway as fast as he could. Unfortunately for him, the next room included two more Sentry Bots. Both options were shitty. It was the hallway or the robots. He saw another doorway on the left hand side of the room and dashed towards it before the Sentry Bots could even register their presence. Charon gently placed Ava on the floor of a decrepit bathroom and began to pick off the Sentry Bots from the doorway.

Ava sat up and saw a teddy bear and a gnome statue playing a game of chess with miniature beer and milk bottles. She rubbed her eyes and they were still there.

"Charon, do you see this? They're playing chess!"

"Kind of busy right now!" he shouted over his shoulder. He threw the last pulse grenade and it disabled the two robots. The room had several areas of free-flowing electricity. Charon and Ava stood close together so they wouldn't accidently brush against any metal near the electricity.

The free-flowing electricity in that room paled in comparison to what they found in the next room. A giant stream of electricity flowed from the ceiling down into a gap in the floor. The crackling was almost deafening when Ava peeked over the railing. There in the center of the opening was a large metal coil.

"That's gotta be the Tesla Coil," said Ava.

"How are we going to get it without electrocuting ourselves?" Charon asked.

"There must be a way to cut the power. There's bound to be safety switches around the coil in case anyone fell in or something. I don't know about you, but I don't feel like getting fried so let's look around for another power switch."

Ava opened a heavy metal door in the corner of the room and looked into the short hallway. On one side was a hatch with a sign that read, "Emergency Exit Only." They had their escape route, now they just needed the coil. She walked down some stairs and into a small control room with a dimly lit computer. She sat at the desk and began her hacking. Charon peered over her shoulder and saw a jumble of letters, symbols, numbers and a few words.

"How do you do hack into this?" he asked.

"Those words are passwords. Only one will be right, of course. I have four chances to pick the right one or the computer shuts off permanently. Some of these symbols lumped together like these here," she explained while pointing to the screen, "will delete an incorrect password from the list or restore my number of attempts to enter a password."

She began typing furiously, deleting passwords that would not work and taking a guess every few moments. The crackling of the electricity in the next room was distracting her.

"Contending!" Ava shouted. The computer logged in and the option, "Trigger Machine Failsafe" came up. She clicked the enter key.

"I think I got it," she said quietly. The door beside them slid open and thin plumes of black smoke rose from the floor.

Ava and Charon cautiously stepped into the chamber and Ava reached for the small round coil. Charon grabbed her wrist and shook his head.

"Let me. It might still be hot and my hands will heal quicker than yours," he said. He took the small coil from the stand in the chamber's center, wincing a bit at the searing pain in his hands, and put it inside Ava's pack. She took his hands in her own and examined them. The coil must have been very hot because Charon's palms were beginning to blister.

"Do not fret. I'll find a puddle outside and dip my hands in; I'll be fine."

"Back to the Citadel?" Ava asked.

"If we must."

The journey back to the Citadel wasn't terrible. Ava and Charon killed a few raiders along the way but after facing numerous Deathclaws, raiders were less than nothing. It was like stepping on roaches for them.

Ava and Charon walked into the meeting room and waited for Paladin Tristan to approach them.

"We're still covered in Deathclaw blood," Charon whispered to Ava. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"Just makes us look crazier than we already are," she replied. Charon kissed the top of her head, satisfied with her answer. At last, Paladin Tristan walked over to them and cleared his throat.

"Did you find the Tesla Coil?" asked the Paladin. Charon took the coil from Ava's backpack, holding it out in the palm of his hand, and Paladin Tristan grinned widely.

"Excellent. I'll see to it that it reaches the Scribes immediately. You've done very well. Are you ready for the final assignment?" he asked.

"We're good to go. What's next?" asked Ava.

"Based on the data you brought to us from the relay station, we have identified where the Enclave is keeping their base of operations. It seems that they have taken over the Adams Air Force base just outside of D.C. and the only safe way to get there is through the Presidential Metro. The Brotherhood will be providing a distraction so you two can slip into the base undetected. Once you arrive, look for the Resupply Crate. Inside, you'll have your orders and hopefully, a working Tesla Cannon."

"Tesla…Cannon?" Charon asked. The Paladin nodded and Charon gave Ava a brooding smile.

"Yes, that is the weapon we've been working on."

"We like blowing shit up," she said. Paladin Tristan laughed loudly at her announcement.

"Good, good. Here are the directions to the metro. Good luck." Paladin Tristan typed the coordinates into Ava's pip-boy, gave them a salute and walked towards the labs.

"I don't give a shit about anything else right now except finding a few bottles of cold beer," Charon said.

"Greatest. Idea. Ever," said Ava. A beer or six sounded amazing to her and thankfully, Rivet City wasn't too far away.


	21. Who Dares Wins

**YES I'M DONE! This chapter took forever. I thought I would punch my laptop. I'm glad you all enjoyed my story and I hope you'll take the time to read the sequel to this. Thanks for all your reviews!**

* * *

The trip from the Citadel, to Metro Central, and then to Pennsylvania Avenue was long and monotonous. All the tunnels looked the same to both Ava and Charon, and if it weren't for Ava's pip-boy, it would have taken them more than a day to get to Pennsylvania Avenue. At least they were walking inside the tunnels and not outside in the blistering heat of the sun. Ava tried to match Charon's long strides; one of his steps was easily two or three of her own. She was very much out of breath while the ghoul pressed forward with unusual resilience. Power armor was not her thing, but Charon had insisted on wearing it for the mission instead of their usual leather armor. After an hour of bickering, Ava convinced Charon to let her go without a helmet. She hated how constricted she felt with them. They both walked up the steps of the metro's exit and Charon pushed open the gates, holding them open for Ava.

"Do you think we gave the Brotherhood enough time to work on the cannon? We should have just stayed at Rivet City for a few more days. I wasn't done with you," said Ava. She took aim at a super mutant standing just across the street from the metro entrance and shot him dead. The look on her face was unusually smug, even for her.

Charon handed her an extra clip and said, "I'm sure they were glad to be rid of us. We destroyed all of the furniture in the hotel room. Cost us quite a few caps."

"Don't forget our 'defilement' of the women's restroom. That was a good one." The pair laughed loudly, remembering the look on Doctor Li's face when she had walked in on them. Ava had laughed even harder then when Charon continued with no attempt to cover himself or her, even when Doctor Li began to shout at them about their indecency.

"That was all you, Smoothskin. You get grabby when you're drunk and I can't say no to you when you're so convincing. You wanted me, and the bathroom was the closest place with a door. That bitch could have just closed the door and went on her way."

"I didn't tell you to break the sink!"

"I needed it for balance! It is not my fault everything on that boat is rusted and falling apart!" Charon said. Shortly after Doctor Li had walked in on them, the sink tore from the wall, sending both he and Ava to the floor. It was high on his list of fond memories with his Smoothskin.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Get that super mutant master for me, would ya? This clip doesn't want to go in all the way," said Ava. She pushed the clip into position using palm of her hand while Charon took down the master.

The entrance to the Presidential Metro wasn't too far away and was heavily guarded by members of the Brotherhood. One even patrolled around the entrance itself with a mini-gun.

"Are you guys ready for us?" Ava asked the paladin with the mini-gun. She really hoped they hadn't come all this way just to hear the Brotherhood wasn't fully prepared yet.

"Yes ma'am. The package has been delivered and everything. Good luck," he said. The paladin pulled the cover off the manhole, allowing Ava and Charon to climb through.

"More tunnels. Yay," said Ava, waving her hands in the air. Charon sniffed loudly and grabbed Ava's shoulder before she could step forward.

"Ferals. Lots of them. Put on that mask of yours, I promise I won't laugh too hard. It's a good thing we brought those Stealth Boys. We might need them," said Charon.

Ava rolled her eyes and pulled her ghoul mask over her head. She opened the door into the President sub-level and saw that a door had already been opened. She raised her rifle quickly, gaining Charon's attention. They walked down the steps and into a room with lavish tile floors. Several destroyed statues of former presidents stood on both sides of the hallway. Together, they took down a lone sentry bot that was patrolling a ruined metro tunnel. Busts of various presidents decorated the walls of the tunnel, covered with decades of dust. Charon nudged the skeleton of a long dead police man with his boot. A small .32 caliber pistol was lying near the skeleton and he frowned at the apparent suicide. He followed Ava into the next tunnel where she was already exploring a derailed train car. Seeing nothing of interest, they began their trek down the tunnel. Yet another skeleton hung from the ceiling, surrounded by sparks of electricity. A small stepladder was under its feet, along with a tool box and a clipboard.

"Electrocution. What a shitty way to die," mumbled Ava. Charon nodded in agreement.

After walking through a maintenance room, they came upon another tunnel and train car. Sifting through the debris, Charon found a senator's I.D. card. He pocketed it; it could prove useful further on. At the end of the long tunnel was a set of double doors. Charon lifted his shotgun and pointed the barrel at the doors.

"Ready when you are, Smoothskin."

Ava grunted as she kicked the doors open. Two turrets stood on either side of a large computer terminal, but they did not shoot.

_"Warning! Unauthorized access to the Presidential Metro! Please approach the workstation and identify yourself," _said a voice. Ava stepped forward and tapped a key on the keyboard.

"Warning: Due to a major security breach, this system is on code red alert status. Prepare for security check," announced the computer.

"Shit, we won't pass this. I've never hacked into something this secure before," said Ava. Charon lowered his gun and stood beside his Smoothskin. His mind quickly went to the senator's I.D. card he had found.

"Attempting to identify local access user…Identification: failed. This access point is restricted to only to authorized personnel. Please identify yourself."

Charon reached into his pocket and held out the card to the computer's miniscule camera lens, making sure his fingers covered the picture on the I.D.

"I'm a United States senator. Here's my identification," Charon said coolly. Ava gaped at him in amazement. Apparently, she was not the only silver-tongued devil in the room.

"Identity verified. How may I assist you today?" asked the computer.

"First off, deactivate all security bots," he said, remembering Ava's hatred of most machinery.

"Negative. Security must remain active. However, upon properly accessing this system, you have been marked as a friendly and the security units will no longer be hostile."

"Good enough, I guess," he said to Ava. "All right, I need some information on the security breach."

"Information is available on that subject. Please specify."

"Just tell us what the hell the breach is all about before I unload this clip into your screen!" Ava snapped. Charon clamped his hand over her mouth to silence her. The girl really needed to learn some patience.

"Very well. Internal visual sensing equipment is detecting numerous unidentified persons in the southeast tunnel area. The individuals have damaged metro equipment and refused dialogue with our security units. They are also giving off lethal levels of radiation. In accordance with U.S. Security Statute A567/B, the use of deadly force has been authorized," the computer announced.

"Ferals. I can smell them from here," said Charon with disgust. "Has anyone used the tunnels to get to Adams Air Force base?"

"The last recorded person to use that line was approximately two hundred years and eight months ago."

Ava logged them out of the computer and said, "So, senator, guess I'm keeping the ghoul mask on. How many ferals?"

Charon shrugged and inhaled deeply. "Fifteen…maybe twenty…fuck, it stinks so bad. You don't smell it at all?"

"It smells moldy and dusty to me," she replied. Most wastelanders were not only frightened of ghouls because of their appearance, but also found that ghouls gave off an awful stench of rotting flesh. Ava could never really tell the difference; every one smelled pretty bad to her, including herself. She remembered the first time she ever met a ghoul. Gob didn't frighten her at all. If anything, she was completely fascinated that he was alive and older than she was by more than a hundred years.

Charon leaned over to Ava and sniffed the top of her head. Ava swatted him away. "What the hell, Charon?"

"You smell like us," he said with a grin. He had never realized this until this moment, and it gave him an idea.

Ava lifted her arm to her nose and sniffed before saying, "All I smell is…well, I guess I smell like leather. Dried blood too."

Charon's grin went wider and he pulled Ava through the second set of double doors. Ava clutched his arm, startled by the screeching of feral ghouls and the sound of machine gun turrets.

"I have a theory, and I want to test it. I will not allow anything to happen to you, so you'll have to trust me," said Charon. Ava nodded and followed the ghoul out of the room. Almost immediately, they were surrounded by twelve strange ghouls that Ava had never seen before. They had a greenish haze about them and were almost the same height as Charon. They sniffed at her, making quiet little grunts every few moments. She looked up at Charon, who looked absolutely horrified.

"What are they?" she whispered. A smaller feral ghoul flinched at the sound of her voice.

"We call them Reavers…they are vicious and extremely difficult to kill. I did not expect to find them down here," he said. He waited for the Reavers to scatter before he whispered, "Take off the mask."

Shakily, Ava pulled the ghoul mask off her face and slowly reached for her Blackhawk. The smaller feral ghoul peered into her face with its milky white eyes and grunted loudly. Ava held her breath and saw Charon lift his arm up, preparing to snatch her out of harm's way. The feral ghoul grunted once more and plodded off into the dimly lit tunnel.

"I had a feeling that would be the reaction. You smell like us, so now they take you for one of us," said Charon.

"That makes things a lot easier," she said.

Ava and Charon followed the large group of ferals down the tunnel, using the Glowing Ones as their source of light. Sentry bots and Mister Gutsys came out of a set of doors and began to blast the feral ghouls away. Charon and Ava made sure to step out of the firing range and waited for a few moments while the security units finished their attack. Just past the doors was an intact train sitting on the metro tracks. Charon pressed the buttons on the control panel, but they did not respond.

"Damn. No power," he muttered.

"I saw a fuse box when we walked in. Maybe I can mess around with it, bring the power back," said Ava. She sifted through a desk underneath the power box and found a large fuse that was similar to the ones on the power box.

"Careful," Charon growled. Ava shushed him loudly and pushed the fuse into the box.

The lights in the control room brightened immediately and Ava whooped loudly. They walked into the first train car and Ava pulled the lever towards her. The doors closed and the train began to move forward at a rapid pace. Charon sat down on the small bench, eager to take the weight off his feet. He could see more feral ghouls battling sentry bots but within seconds, they were far behind them.

Ava felt Charon's arms wrap around her waist as he pulled her towards him. She sat on his lap and leaned into his shoulder.

"We should get some rest before we get there. It'll be a couple of hours," said Charon. Ava nodded her head in agreement and her tired legs welcomed the break.

Charon felt himself begin to doze off when he heard Ava murmur, "You know, I'm not afraid for us. I really feel like we'll be okay…that we'll get through this."

The ghoul pressed his face into the crook of her neck and allowed himself to taste her skin. Ava sighed quietly, bringing a smile to his face.

"As do I. To me, this is just another adventurous tale for the children," he said. Ava curled up close to his body and soon, they were both sound asleep.

* * *

Ava eyes began to open as the train slowed to a stop. She shook Charon awake and stood up, stretching her arms far above her head. Charon scratched at his side and cracked his neck noisily. Ava cringed as she heard his bones crack.

"That is so fucking disturbing," she whispered.

"You should hear when I crack my back," he said as he put an arm around her shoulder. At the top of the staircase, Ava held out a hand and placed it on his chest to stop him.

"Wait. Someone else is here," Ava whispered.

She could hear footsteps from adjacent room. They picked a lock to the door beside them and slowly walked into the hallway. Ava stuck her head out for a moment and saw a couple of Enclave soldiers. She looked back at Charon and saw him typing into a computer. The ghoul looked up at her and smiled widely.

"Turret controls," he said. Charon pushed a few more keys and pressed "enter." The turrets activated and killed the Enclave soldiers. He waited a few more moments before turning the turrets off completely and stood up.

"You learn fast," said Ava. Her ghoul was impressive, to say the least. There really was no one better to have by her side. The conceited look on his face actually made the ghoul look handsome in his own way.

Charon bent down and kissed her, relishing the feeling of his mouth on hers. "You say something and I listen. Shall we keep going?"

Ava pushed open a set of doors and they found themselves standing out in the fresh air. She was more than relieved to be out of the musty smelling tunnels and she was eager to get her hands on the Tesla Cannon. Just outside of a small building was a wooden crate with the Brotherhood of Steel symbol burned into it.

Ava shook her head and said, "Could they not be any more idiotic? Everyone knows this is their symbol!"

"What do you expect? We work with a bunch of morons," he growled. He tore the wooden lid off the box and chuckled when he realized what lay in the straw.

Ava shoved him aside roughly and said, "I want to shoot it first! Get out of my way!"

Charon growled and snatched the cannon from her small hands. "_I'm _shooting it first! I called it back at the Citadel."

"You did NOT!"

"That look I gave you when Paladin Tristan mentioned it? That was my, 'The second we find it, I'm shooting down the first helicopter we see' look," he said.

"Ladies first!" she insisted. She reached for the cannon once again but Charon stood up and held it well out of her reach. Ava punched him in the gut as hard as she could and as he bent forward in pain, she tore it from his hands with a laugh.

"Remind me why we're together again?" he gasped.

Ava looked over the weapon carefully and said, "Because I'm crazy fucker like you and you love me."

"Sounds about right," he said with a smirk. "What are our orders?"

Ava pushed the holo-disk into her pip-boy and it began to play the message.

"_This is Paladin Tristan. If you are listening to this, then you've made it through the Presidential Metro and Adams Air Force base is all that stands in your way. Our scouts report that the fire controls for the orbital missile satellite are located in the main tower of the Enclave Mobile Platform. The only way into the platform is by way of a ramp that lowers from a watch post the Enclave set up in the old air traffic control tower. When you opened the crate it triggered a beacon. We'll pick up the signal and start the assault to cover your entry. Good luck, and Godspeed."_

"Here goes nothing," said Ava, turning her pip-boy off completely.

They snuck past a blue force field identical to the ones used at the Purifier and ducked behind an old Army supply truck as a small group of Enclave soldiers walked into the area. Ava elbowed Charon and signaled for him to use the sniper rifle to take them out. They didn't have much ammo for the Tesla Cannon and Ava wanted to save as much of it as she could. Charon carefully set up the rifle over a pile of debris and aimed for the soldiers. He pulled the trigger and the bullet tore through the skull of one soldier, sending his lifeless body to the ground. The other soldiers did not even notice their companion had been shot until Charon killed another soldier. They began to shout in a panic, trying to pin-point where the shots had come from, but were silenced by three more of Charon's shots.

"If someone had told me that one day I would be freed and I would be infiltrating a base with my Smoothskin companion, I would have shot them in the face and laughed," Charon said quietly.

Ava looked up and grimaced. "Do you see how many turrets there are? We can't get past them all unless we get rid of them."

"Use the Cannon. It's effective against machinery if its purpose is to bring down vertibirds," he suggested.

Ava shook her head and whispered, "There's no sight on this. I can't see too well, it's too dark."

Charon sat and thought for a few moments. "All right. Can you see this?" He turned on the laser aim on the sniper rifle and pointed it at a turret. Ava nodded; even in the darkness, she could still see the tiny red pinprick.

"I'll aim for you. You just point and pull that trigger," Charon said. Ava pulled the trigger on the Tesla Cannon and was surprised at the amount of kick back it had. The turret was obliterated in one shot and her mouth fell open in surprise. They cleared the area of several turrets before running over to the cover of more buildings.

"I cannot wait to blow up some fucking vertibirds!" she said happily. Charon followed her up a set of metal stairs up to the roof of a large building. They crept amongst the air conditioning structures until they reached the other side. A vertibird was landing on the roof top across from them. Ava handed Charon the Tesla Cannon.

"Give 'em hell, honey."

Charon glared at her for a moment but softened rapidly. She was giving him the chance to destroy the vertibirds first, and her gesture warmed his heart in the strangest way. He aimed and before the Enclave soldiers could even open the door to jump out, Charon annihilated the vertibird in a fiery blast.

"Did you SEE what this did to the vertibird? I think I may have just found the love of my life," he said with heavy breaths. The ghoul had never held anything so powerful in all his life.

"Hey!" Ava said loudly.

"Yes, Smoothskin. You have been replaced."

"Well, you can fuck the gun for all I care!"

"There's room for both of you in my heart," he said. The ghoul aimed for yet another vertibird and it exploded. If the Enclave wasn't aware of their infiltration, they were now. Ava pulled the Cannon from Charon's hands.

"It's MY fucking turn, asshole! I'm not letting you have all the fun!" Ava targeted a group of grounded vertibirds. The blast killed at least thirty Enclave soldiers that stood nearby and shook the rooftop itself.

Ava looked back at Charon and stared at him incredulously. "You may have a point…I think I love this more than you!"

The area in front of them was a massive air field, peppered with hangars. Most of the metal ceilings had caved in from decades of neglect. Various Enclave camps had been erected around the hangers, but most of the soldiers were now dead. Ava walked into the closest airplane hangar and felt a searing burn in her left shoulder. She had been shot by a plasma rifle. Charon's head snapped up and he saw a group of Enclave soldiers running towards them. Ava yelped as another shot hit her just above her knee.

"Take cover!" she yelled, but Charon ignored her, choosing to stand his ground and marched into the fray. He unloaded shell after shell and didn't notice the plasma shots melting bits of his armor away. Ava crouched behind a smaller building inside the hangar and picked off the soldiers from her position. Charon grabbed the closest Enclave soldier and threw him with incredible force into the brick wall. The soldier's body slumped to the ground and a stream of dark, red blood began to trickle from beneath his helmet. He did not get up again.

When their fight was over, Charon exhaled loudly and allowed himself to catch his breath. Ava leaned against the door of the small building, pushing a stimpak's needle into her skin when a great claw lashed out at her head. Ava screamed and ducked but she could not escape the claw completely. It tore into the back of her armor and she could feel its razor sharp edge cut into her skin.

"Fuck! Ava!" Charon shouted. He held Ava in his arms and looked up. A deathclaw had stuck its arm out through a broken window where Ava was standing. It struggled to break free of its confinement, but the walls were strong. Ava whimpered in pain as Charon examined her injury.

"Just a flesh wound, Smoothskin. I've got you," he murmured. He used up four stimpaks on Ava's back and watched her skin begin to knit.

"Can I have some Med-x too? Just one, enough to numb up my back a bit," she asked. The ghoul complied and injected the Med-x into the muscle on her back. Ava stood up, her knees shaking, but she stood on her own two feet without Charon's assistance. Ava looked around the hangar as Charon injected himself with a few stimpaks and poured dirty water over the lesser injuries.

"Ready?" Ava asked.

A unit of vertibirds landed on the opposite side of the blue barrier and much to Ava and Charon's surprise, they were full of not Enclave soldiers but Brotherhood of Steel members. The Brotherhood had kept their word and provided a much needed distraction for the Enclave.

"Hopefully, we can find a way to bring down these barriers and get inside the mobile platform," said Ava as she pointed past the barriers to the massive structure.

They snuck past a group of guards guarding another hangar and disabled a set of turrets, allowing them to get to the air traffic control tower without further incident. Inside, the building appeared to have taken heavy damage at some point during the war. Ava scowled as she heard the sound of wheels coming towards them.

"Fucking sentry bot," she muttered.

"Stay, I'll get it," Charon said.

"Go ahead, I'll look around for supplies before we head up." Ava walked away from the sound of the sentry bot while Charon snuck towards it.

The robot had its back to him and its combat inhibitor was fully exposed. The ghoul tore the combat inhibitor off the robot, as well as its fission battery. The robot slumped forward and Charon kicked it down a set of broken steps. Ava appeared at his side, clutching a handful of stimpaks and a few bottles of dirty water. They walked upstairs and into the control tower.

"We might have to hurry after we open up the hatch. The Enclave will try to close it again. We'll have to run," said Charon. Ava was looking over the controls and found another first aid kit.

"I think it's time for the Stealth Boys. Running across that airfield without them just seems like a fucking stupid idea," she said, handing one Stealth Boy to Charon. Ava looked out the window just in time to push Charon down the stairs. She threw herself after him as a missile bombarded the tower.

Charon coughed up dust from his lungs and felt around blindly for Ava. He felt her arm and pulled her up. "Are you all right, Ava?"

He patted the dust off her back as she answered, "Yeah, I'm good. You?"

"Never better."

"It was a dogfight between two vertibirds. One of their missiles missed and I saw the smoke trail coming towards us. Let's get the hell out of here," she said. She lowered the ramp on the platform and gave Charon a second shove down the steps. "Move! Move!"

Outside, Charon activated his Stealth Boy and leapt to the ground from the rooftop. Ava did the same and they ran as fast as they could, past Enclave soldiers and Brotherhood members alike. Ava opened the heavy metal door and they were inside the mobile base just before the Stealth Boys deactivated.

Inside, Ava and Charon immediately face a blue repulsion field. Ava took Charon's shotgun from his hands and smashed the butt of the gun into control panel. The repulsion field flickered and died. They walked under a sign that read "Repair Station" and they saw three inactive robots. Ava let out a sigh of relief. Her relief was short lived when she saw a man stand up from behind a generator. Charon stood in front of Ava and a deep growl rumbled from his throat.

The man threw up his hands to surrender and shouted, "Please, don't hurt me! I just work here!"

"What the hell are you doing here?" asked Ava.

"I…uh, work on the robots. I fix 'em up. I saw what you two did before you entered the base…you're not gonna hurt me are ya?" he asked timidly.

"Don't give us a reason to hurt you," said Charon.

"Oh thank goodness. I'm Stiggs. Good to meet ya."

"Could you answer a few questions for us?" she asked.

"Well, I'm glad you realized I'm not one of the bad guys. I'll answer whatever you want," he said in earnest.

"What type of defenses are upstairs?"

"Upstairs is a Deathclaw facility. Most of them are out fighting but there might be one or two left. There's also a ton of robots. They're all connected through the mainframe so if you disable that, they'll power down. There are some military types too, but not nearly as many as before."

"…Why are you so helpful? Are you trying to fuck us? Because I swear, I will hunt you down and let him gut you," said Ava as she pointed to Charon. The ghoul reached for his combat knife for good measure.

"I've been trying to leave for a while now. I've done things for the Enclave…things I'm not proud of at all. But when they found me, I was starving and dying of radiation poisoning. I didn't know they were bad…but I do now and it's time I leave," he explained. The look of shame on his face was enough to convince Ava.

"Good luck out there then," said Ava. The man nodded and walked towards the exit with two robots in tow.

"Deathclaws! Yay again!" Ava said, cheering. Charon shook his head and they climbed up the ladder to the Deathclaw room. The room itself was empty except for a deathclaw standing behind a blue force field. Ava turned off the field and smiled when the deathclaw walked up to her and purred loudly.

"Go get 'em boy," she whispered to the deathclaw. She pointed at the Enclave scientists who had walked in and the deathclaw charged forward, mauling anyone and anything that stood in its way.

"What is it with you and deathclaws?" Charon asked, He bent down and kissed her cheek and smiled warmly as Ava looked up at her with her large, green eyes.

"If I could, I'd have one as a pet. They're kind of sweet when they're…tame like that. The deathclaw stumbled towards them and growled softly. Charon pat its massive head.

They walked into a room marked "Armory" and Ava was almost knocked over by the deathclaw as it ran past her. A well-armored man stood with a gatling laser and began to shoot at the monster. Charon threw a handful of pulse grenades, destroying a sentry bot and all four turrets in the room. After a minute passed, everything thing in the room was dead except Ava and Charon. She frowned as she stepped over the deathclaw's corpse and she broke into the armory. Charon's eye lit up at the large armor cache and he piled their pack full of ammo and spare weapons.

"I want this, and this, and this, and maybe that…hell, I'm taking this too," he muttered. "Ava, the Enclave soldiers are so kind to give us all this."

Ava laughed and they walked through another door labeled, "Mainframe." She couldn't wait to get all the robots off their backs. They had enough to deal with already. She shut down the robots and gave the terminal a good kick out of irritation. Charon chuckled.

"I'm blowing something up after all this crap we've gone through," she said.

A vertibird was attempting to land on top of the base but Ava blew it to hell with the Tesla Cannon before it could do so. She laughed maniacally knowing she was so close to finishing the mission. Charon and Ava ran towards the Enclave soldiers guarding the entrance to the satellite tower and killed them all. Charon a few shots breach his armor and hit his arm, but it did not stop him from shooting his shotgun one-handed. The enemy soldiers tried to retreat but Ava leapt, stabbing an Enclave officer through the back of his head.

"Where the FUCK do you think you're going?" she shouted at the other Enclave soldiers. Charon and Ava backed the two remaining soldiers against the railing and she enjoyed watching them cower in fear of her. Charon snarled, startling one of the soldiers and sent him over the rail. Ava pushed the other soldier over the rail and sent him to his death.

Inside the control tower, they found the satellite uplink terminal and Ava logged into the computer. She loaded the payload and a list of targets came up on the screen: the Citadel, Megaton, the Purifier, Rivet City and the Air Force Base. Ava wavered and she stared at the screen. The Citadel…

Charon could not understand what was taking her so long until he looked at the screen for himself. The Citadel had been highlighted. He gently placed a hand on Ava's shoulder and she jumped.

"I know what you're thinking, Smoothskin…I hate them too. They treat my kind like less than shit and they certainly don't give a shit about you…but think about what you are doing. Right now, the Brotherhood is the lesser evil. Bomb the base. We can deal with the Brotherhood on our own time," he said quietly.

"I want to…I want to kill them…" she whispered. Charon turned her so that she was forced to look him in the eye.

"No. Not now. Enclave first," he said firmly. Ava sighed and hugged him tightly. Charon highlighted the Air Force base option and pressed enter before Ava could change her mind.

An alarm began to go off and Ava snapped her head up in fear. "Fuck! How are we getting off the base?" she shouted.

Charon slapped his forehead and yelled, "We better start running! Ignore the soldiers and don't stop running! Go! Go!" They barreled out of the door, completely unsure of what to do. Panic rose in Ava's throat.

"We might have to jump!" Charon bellowed over the sound of explosions in the distance.

"Are you FUCKING NUTS? We'll be killed!" said Ava. Charon looked over the railing and pointed to the lower levels of the mobile base.

"We could try to get to the lower levels if we hang from the rails and drop off! I don't know what else to do!"

"That's the stupidest fucking plan I've ever heard!"

"Then you think of something! It better be fast, or we're dead!"

A vertibird flew near them and landed quickly. Charon and Ava lifted their guns in unison, ready to kill whoever stepped off the aircraft. It was too close for them to use the Tesla Cannon. Ava held her breath and felt her arms shaking wildly. They weren't supposed to die that day.

A blonde head poked out from the door of the vertibird and Ava saw Sentinel Lyons' face appear with a pained grin.

"Lyons!" shouted Ava.

"Surprised to see me?" asked the Sentinel. Charon lowered his gun and his shoulders relaxed instantly. They were going home, and all he had to do was put up with the Brotherhood for a couple of hours before he never had to see them again.

"We want to get the fuck out of here!" Ava said.

"I'm here to get your asses on this vertibird before it goes up like a nuke. Let's go!"

Charon shoved Ava past Lyons and the other Brotherhood members and ushered her onto the vertibird. Ava gripped his hand tightly, fearing he would somehow be left behind. The others climbed in after them quickly and the vertibird lifted off.

"I don't know about you guys, but I feel like watching some fireworks," Ava shouted above the noise of the aircraft. Charon smiled and squeezed her hand.

The pilot agreed and set the vertibird down a safe distance away from the mobile base. Ava jumped out of the aircraft and was hopping up and down in excitement. Charon stood stoically behind her with his arms crossed and watched the night sky light up as hundreds of missiles plummeted into the mobile base. The building shook beneath them and it caused the old ghoul to give the faintest of smiles. All of this, because of his Smoothskin. God damn, she was crazy.

"We annihilated those fucking bastards! Do you think my father would be proud?" Ava asked as she pressed herself into his arms.

"Of course. For what it's worth, I am proud as well," he said. A gust of wind from the explosion blew past them, lifting sand, dust, and papers from the ground below them. He never expected any of this, the fighting, having Ava, any of it when he first saw her outside of the Ninth Circle. Grateful wouldn't even begin to describe how he felt.

"I couldn't have done it without you, as corny as it sounds. You've had my back since we partnered up. I don't regret a thing," she said before kissing him.

* * *

The vertibird landed inside the Citadel, and Ava saw Elder Lyons approaching as she and Charon stepped off.

"When I first met you some time ago, I was leery of your motivations and even more concerned with your methods," Elder Lyons began.

"Pretty sure that's not the first time you've heard that, huh Smoothskin?" Charon grunted. Ava elbowed him and the ghoul clenched his teeth to fight off a fit of laughter.

"At the Battle of Project Purity, you proved yourself…and any doubts I had about you dissipated on that very day. Now, with the Enclave in ruins and you to thank for it, I'm almost at a complete loss for words. I promise what you've done here today will be recorded by our Scribes as a historic moment. On behalf of the Brotherhood of Steel, I thank you," said Elder Lyons.

"Anything you want to say?" asked Scribe Rothchild.

"Yeah. I need a smoke, and I need a beer. I can keep the Tesla Cannon, right?" Ava asked.

"Why…uh…certainly," said Elder Lyons.

"Great. We'll be going now. Thanks for the Cannon!" said Ava. She looped her arm through Charon's and they walked out of the Citadel without another glance.

Elder Lyons hugged his daughter and stared at the retreating backs of the ghoul and the Vault Girl. "Peculiar young woman, isn't she?" he asked.

"Yes…we'll have to keep an eye on her," said Scribe Rothchild. A girl who cavorted about the Wasteland with a ghoul as her partner would surely be trouble.


End file.
